


Something Between Us

by phillydragonldy



Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-02-03 05:51:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 139
Words: 188,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1733420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phillydragonldy/pseuds/phillydragonldy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a deep connection between Chloe Sullivan and Davis Bloome. Deeper than friendship and even love. Much greater than monster and savior. Where were the lines drawn? And would it be enough to save them all? The Canon(ish) and Offscreensville story of Davis and Chloe and their relationship. This is a very long story that spoils all of Season 8. Chapter ratings will range from G to NC-17.  I specifically note NC-17 chapter as "Interludes" if you wish to find/skip them.  I own nothing!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Davis Bloome laid in bed and couldn't figure out why he was awake before the alarm.

His body knew to sleep when it could. Years of being a paramedic with an erratic sleep schedule, off-hours, and grueling days and nights of work trained his body and mind to shut OFF when it could. So being awake early was very strange. He felt jittery and he didn't know why. It wasn't like the feeling he associated with an oncoming blackout period. It was something...else.

He decided to give up on sleep and do some clean up around the apartment until it was time to get ready for work.

* * *

 

Chloe walked down the street towards The Daily Planet. She was 6 blocks away from the building before she was finally able to find an open meter. She knew it was silly, but she just couldn't justify spending $25 per day to park in a garage to be closer. She was daydreaming about what to order at the cafe. She was taking Clark out to lunch to celebrate his first day on the job. Turkey on rye? Soup? No. A burger. With fries. And a caramel macchiato. God, she had missed her fancy coffee drinks in the DDS facility. Even if it wasn't a real DDS facilty, the food sure felt like government issue. It had been appropriately inedible. Now she couldn't stop ordering all the wonderful, terrible-for-you-but-utterly-delicious foods she hadn't had in months.

If she never saw another plate of mac-and-beef or green jello she would die happy.

The billows of dust and smoke in the air, along with sirens and lights and swarming emergency personnel interrupted her happy thoughts as she turned from the cross-street to the block down from The Daily Planet. She hitched her bag more securely on her shoulder and ran up to the police barricade, cursing her choice to wear heels. She quickly saw there had been a terrible bus accident. The burned out husk of the bus was over on its side and people were milling around. She noticed a pretty teenage girl stumbling and collapse to the ground out of view of the rescue personnel. She dodged around the barricade and to the girl's side. The girl was bleeding and coughing. Eyes wide, she looked around and called for help.

"Can somebody help us over here, please?! Over here!"

* * *

 

Davis arrived at the accident scene. It was a bad one. He knew the Met Gen emergency ward would be busy today.

His finely tuned ears caught the calls of a woman yelling for help. He had particularly good hearing and as an EMT the word "Help" always caught his attention, but this call cut through all the others. He turned and focused on the voice. A familiar beautiful blonde woman crouched down with an obviously injured teen girl immediately captured his attention. It was HER. He had seen her from time to time at the hospital, but had never thought of a way to approach her. The way she held the girl in her embrace instinctively sent a frisson of something through him. He wasn't sure what it was and he didn't have time to examine it. He steeled himself and ran towards the pair.

"Was she on the bus?" he asked the beautiful blonde as he dropped his bag and knelt in from of the girl.

"I don't know."

Davis deftly positioned maneuvered his bag and pulled out an oxygen tank and mask. Unwinding the mask, he handed the tank to the blonde.

"I need you to, uh, hold on to this for me."

"Okay."

Turning to the injured girl, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Bette," the girl answered as she tried to catch her breath.

"You inhaled a lot of smoke, Bette. We're gonna give you a little fresh air," he said as he pulled the elastic strap over her head to secure the mask.

"Take slow, deep breaths. Try to stay calm, okay?" he said as he settled the mask in place. "I'm gonna check you over. Tell me if anything hurts."

He began the quick field examination for concussion - checking her head for lumps and looking into her frightening eyes. The girl's hand gripped over the woman's and her eyes kept turning to the blonde for reassurance. It was as if she could sense that this was a person she could trust.

Davis knew how she felt.

Even with her obvious worry, there was something about the blonde that spoke of a deep strength. Something that made you think that if she was in charge, then everything would turn out RIGHT.

"Hang in there, Bette. It's okay," the blonde woman told Bette, smiling reassuringly.

"You're doing great," he said to Bette, continuing his exam.

His eyes darted to the blonde and briefly met hers. Her eyes were green. He had never been close enough to her before to notice her eye color. Green. He had always liked blue before, but suddenly he found he preferred green-eyed women.

"You too," he said to her.

"Thank god you heard me."

Meeting her eyes again he replied "You're hard to miss."

Looking back at Bette he concluded the exam, "Look at me. Well, Bette, apart from breathing in all that smoke, you're gonna be okay. We should still get you to Met General just to be sure."

He turned and pointed to his ambulance.

"You think you can make it to my rig?"

At her nod he replied, "Okay."

Grabbing the oxygen tank from the ground, he and the blonde helped to lift Bette to her feet.

Looking over Bette's head he asked the blonde, "Can you grab my bag?"

"Yeah of course."

"Thanks, ah..."

"Chloe."

"Davis. You make a good wingman, Chloe - or wingperson."

He made a face at his idiotic comment.

_Wingperson??? Get a grip, Davis. What is wrong with you?_

She smiled and raised her eyebrows in an amused and slightly embarrassed-for-him way.

"Thank you for your help," he finished and led Bette to the ambulance.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe picked up Davis' bag and followed behind him and Bette to the ambulance he had indicated. Bette was still stumbling, but he didn't have any problems supporting the girl.

Had he been _flirting_ with her???

Chloe wasn't used to guys flirting with her, especially someone that looked like _him_. It had taken Jimmy nearly a whole summer of them interning together and finally HER asking HIM out before he really noticed her as a woman. And Clark...well despite a few kisses, and lots of soulful talks, he never really had. She was Chloe, his best friend that just happened to be a girl. But not an actual girl. Just female, kind of like his mom was female. It was a state of being, not an viable option. She rolled her eyes at her own train of thought. Great. Now she was comparing herself and Clark's relationship to being like his mother.

But going back to a happier train of thought, she was sure the handsome EMT had noticed. After all, hadn't he said she was "hard to miss?"

Reaching the ambulance, Davis helped Bette down to sit upon a piece of debris while he opened up the back doors. He then helped the girl into the back and laid her down on the stretcher.

Taking his bag from her shoulder, his brown eyes met her eyes again.

"I'll be taking Bette to Met Gen, if you wanted to follow."

"Yeah, that would be great. I'll meet you guys there in a little while."

"Okay."

Turning away, Davis hopped into the back of the rig and secured his bag. As she turned away, he was checking to make sure Bette was secure.

Chloe spotted a familiar tall figure dropping off a little blonde girl to another EMT.

Now why wasn't she surprised to see him at the scene? And filthy? But was he wearing a _dress shirt??_

Chloe strolled up to Clark as he turned away from the EMT with a concerned look upon his face.

"Hey. Clark."

"Chloe? You all right?"

Rushing up to her, he lightly gripped her upper arms and ran his eyes all over her, looking for any injuries she may be hiding. But not in the intent way that said he was using his X-ray vision. She figured her clean clothes and styled hair indicated she hadn't been involved in the crash.

"I just got here. I just helped this girl that was on that bus. What happened?"

Finally convinced that she was indeed intact they started walking and he replied, "Well, I heard there was a bomb on the bus, but I haven't had a chance to check it out."

_Ah. Just like Clark. Even on his very first day at a new job - with a new boss, no less - helping people always came first._

Smiling, Chloe glanced over at him.

"Even a dress shirt can't hide the hero in you, huh, Clark? Heck of a first day at the office."

"Well, that's why I'm there, so I can be around to help more people. Working at the Daily Planet, I'll hear about every crisis as it happens. I just wish that you were there with me."

Stopping and turning to face her, "You know, now that Lex isn't running things..."

Smiling in a slightly rueful way at his earnest expression, "Yeah. I've spent almost my entire life praying to the gods of journalism. It might be kind of nice to try something new, you know? See how it feels."

She had planned to tell him about her new job at the Isis Foundation at lunch. She wasn't entirely sure how he would react to her taking over Lana's job - even on a temporary basis and in a limited capacity as "house-sitter." She had hoped his own elation at working at The Daily Planet would help soften the shock of her new career path. After everything she had been through with Lex tearing apart the paper she had loved so much and then months in that facility, she just couldn't try to go back. She needed to go forward. And part of that was Jimmy. Jimmy would be her future. Clark and The Planet were her past. That was another thing she planned to tell him about at lunch.

Almost as if he read part of her train of though, Clark replied with "Now you're ready for a change?"

Looking down at the gaudy plastic ring on her finger, "Actually, uh... there's pretty big changes."

She maneuvered her hand on the strap of her bag so the ring was more prominent and wriggled her fingers.

His cell phone jangled and Clark looked at the screen, completely missing her gesture.

"Apparently the goddess of journalism is wondering where I am. "

She smiled.

_Ok, so maybe he wasn't reading my mind, but it is fun to watch Lois give him a hard time._

"With Lois on the case, it's gonna get harder to duck away to save the day."

He made a slightly contemptuous face at her amusement.

"If I could hide my secret from you, I think I can handle your cousin."

_Ah Clark - I think you underestimate Lois greatly. His cell beeped again._

"Huh. Good luck with that. I got to go. Uh, tell Lois that I said to take it easy on you."

She turned away back in the direction of her car.

_Another 6 block walk back and no burger. I hope the hospital has better food than the facility..._


	3. Chapter 3

_Dammit, she had a boyfriend._

Davis got into the driver's seat of the ambulance and closed the door.

The guy he saw her with was really good looking too. Probably a model. And he was probably rich - he'd been in a dress shirt. And saved puppies along with children.

Davis tried not to be jealous that the guy got to touch her. He should have known that someone like her wouldn't be single. He hadn't been able to tell from the limited glimpses at Met Gen.

Snapping the seatbelt closed, he cursed himself for a fool, started up the engine and turned on the lights. He pulled the vehicle away from the scene and headed towards Met Gen.

* * *

 

Chloe thumbed through a completely forgettable magazine in the ER waiting room of Met Gen as she waited for Bette. Eventually she gave up on the "Weight Loss Secrets of the Stars!!" and just watched the events of the ER. She had coffee, which was pretty terrible, but it was still coffee. Davis had stopped by a few times to update her on how things were going with the girl, for which she was appreciative. He had even been kind enough to direct her to the hospital cafeteria, so she could get a much-delayed lunch.

_Were all EMT's this attentive?_

She didn't think so, since she didn't see any others checking back with people in the waiting area. The doctors did and some nurses. But no EMT's.

The curly fries had been a welcome sight but the meatloaf sandwiches were not. She passed on them and had a salad instead. The sight of the lime Jello caused her to scowl so much the lunch lady had asked her if she was ok.

After draining the last of her soda with a loud slurp in the straw, the tray had nothing left but the greasy bag from the surprisingly tasty curly fries and the bowl that formerly held salad. The empty bowl still swam with ranch dressing. As she passed back by the lunchline with her tray, on a whim, she did double back to the meatloaf and picked up another pack of curly fries for Bette. She figured after the rough day she went though, the girl would welcome some food. Even meatloaf. But not lime Jello. NEVER lime Jello.

* * *

 

Chloe smiled to see a much steadier Bette walking towards her from the back of the ER. The cut on her forehead had butterfly tape holding it closed, but her step was spry and her breathing normal.

Picking up the styrofoam container of food, Chloe greeted her, "Hi."

Smiling, Bette replied in a tired but happy voice, "Hey. Doc says I'm okay, but I feel like I just threw down with a carton of cloves."

Holding out the container with some napkins, Chloe handed it to her.

"Well, I figured you'd be hungry, so, unfortunately, it's meat-loaf Mondays, but I did score you some curly fries."

Gratefully accepting the food, Bette took the container.

"Are you kidding? Hot food's good any day of the week. Thanks."

She sat down and immediately opened the box and tore into the sandwich.

Looking around the waiting room at all the anxious family members, Chloe said, "I, uh, I'm surprised your parents aren't...here."

Putting the sandwich down, she looked directly at Chloe and said, "Look, it's really cool what you did for me and everything, but it doesn't mean I have to tell you my life story."

"I wasn't asking."

"I haven't seen them in years. I'm kind of in-between homes right now."

_Oh._

"You know, why don't I grab you a soda to wash that down?"

Moving over to the soda machine, Chloe's mind kicked into overdrive.

_She's a street kid. She just had a terrible ordeal, I can't just leave her. Aren't there shelters? Metropolis is a big city. I'm sure they have shelters where I can take her to be looked after._

"Hey."

Turning at the sound of his voice, she smiled.

"Davis. Hi."

With a smile of his own, he gestured to Bette, who was back to tearing though the food, he asked "How's she doing?"

"Uh, she got a clean bill of health. But, um, I just found out that she's a street kid. So I was gonna drop her off at the city shelter tonight."

Horrified, he moved in closer to her. He knew what those places were like. He had spent more than enough time in them himself as he ran away from one foster home or another. Sometimes the foster homes were actually really good - that made him leave faster. He couldn't let himself be the reason a good home wouldn't take kids anymore. So he took to the streets, but never the shelters if he could avoid it. You were generally safer on the streets. It was even worse for the girls. But sometimes you had to risk them or freeze to death.

"She's a 15-year-old girl, Chloe. You really think she's gonna be safe at the Metropolis shelter? Not too streetwise, are you?"

Taken aback by his comment after he had been so nice, Chloe replied, "I was just trying to help. If you have any ideas, please, step up. Do something."

As she spoke, a though came to his head. Girls. A shelter. Ann. Ann ran a shelter for teen girls. She was one of the few people in his life that knew some of his own past. They had met several years ago under strange circumstances, but it was at this very hospital they had really become friends.   She had brought in a girl that was under her care that had burned her hand while cooking. He was interested in the way she took these girls that had no where else to go to a an actual safe place to live. His own experiences made him hyperaware of the same situation in others. Beth had asked him to keep an eye out if anyone came his way that needed her help. One of the things they both knew was that living on your own, especially while so young, made a person wary of "help." And sometimes the people that needed help the most were the least willing to admit it.

She sat down next to Bette.

"So, I hear that you need a place to stay?"

Looking up at him and then at Chloe, she responded.

"Not really."

"But if you did, I have a friend, and she runs a home, and it's pretty nice."

"Is she some kind of religious nut? 'Cause I don't really roll with the holy."

Religious? Ann? Haha, he would have to tell her that. Ann was one of the most down to earth people he knew. One of her girls, Beth, had been taking her turn at making dinner for the group. Beth had very limited cooking skills and didn't realize how hot the outside of the pot of boiling spaghetti would get. Everyone shared the work of the home, and all helped each other when there were problems. There were 4 other girls that joined Ann in the waiting room while the doctors saw to their injured friend. Another large part of them learning to help each other and themselves was that Ann required the girls go to school. She also helped to teach them skills to support themselves or get into college once they aged out. She was a firm believer in making your own destiny.

"It's not like that. She helps girls learn some skills, score a job. I can get you an application."

At Bette's look he ended with, "Or...you can forget it. It's your choice."

Stepping forward, Chloe jumped in with, "Look, Bette, you can stay with me tonight if you need to."

Davis looked at Chloe in surprise.

_Did she just offer to let a completely unknown girl into her home? Most people would be concerned about her stealing their stuff. And how would her boyfriend feel about it?_

Mouth full of food again, Bette replied, "You're nice, Chloe. Kind of like a girl scout. I don't want to be your latest merit badge."

Slightly offended, Chloe picked up her purse and started walking away.

"Okay. I'm gonna take my thin mints and head home. I thought you might want a safe place to stay tonight."

"But would I still be a free agent?"

Turning back, Chloe looked at Bette in a very no-nonsense manner. it was a look that Davis instantly associated with the few really good "moms" he had had in foster care. It said, _I know the right choice here and so do you._

"As long as you promise to _think_ about Davis' offer."

Rolling her head to look over at the EMT sitting quietly beside her and then back at Chloe, Bette huffed, "Okay, I'm in."

She smiled at Bette and turned away.

"Great. Let's go."

Watching the byplay and then seeing Chloe turn away without waiting to see it the girl would follow, Davis couldn't help but reevaluate the small blonde. Maybe she wasn't that naive. Maybe she was just that _good._


	4. Chapter 4

It had started out as a nice day.

Bette had slept like a rock on the couch. And while Chloe wasn't so fortunate, she still felt great this morning.  
  
They both had clean clothes. After leaving the hospital, she and Bette had stopped behind a boutique where Bette had stashed a bunch of things. The girl had a surprising amount of clothes and style for a street kid. She decided not to look into that too deeply, since it was unlikely that Bette had actually _paid_ for most of it. Upon getting back to the apartment, the first thing Chloe did was take all Bette's clothes, (and her own since she hadn't done laundry for a week) and thrown them in the washer in the Talon basement. Thank goodness the Talon now used a laundry service. It meant that she, Lois, and Jimmy were the only people that ever used the washer and dryer now. Well, mainly just her since she usually did laundry for the other two.  
  
They had both then enjoyed a selection of leftover take-out from the fridge. She had noodles and Bette chose pizza. Bette was surprised that she had such vast quantities of takeout when she had a perfectly good kitchen at her disposal. They watched a sappy movie and turned in early.  
  
She chose to ignore the dreams that she had that night. They did not include her fiance, or even Clark...no, she would not think about her dreams. _Those_ ones...or the weird ones.  
  
She was pretty excited because today she started her fancy new job at Isis. Lana was surprisingly generous with the salary for her to "babysit" Isis. She wasn't entirely sure what she needed to do, but she looked forward to the challenge. She guessed she just needed to answer phones and refer clients. Basically, keep things moving until Lana could find a permanent person to run the foundation.  
  
She had gone shopping over the weekend to make sure she had more professional looking clothes. Lois had come along to "help" and loved it. Lois was always complaining about her clothes. In part she thought that might be because Lois wanted to borrow more of her outfits, but cutesy and Bohemian wasn't to _her_ taste. Well, she figured Lois would start raiding her closet more - for better or worse. No hippy flowers or wild prints in Lana's sleek Isis office. But she did love her new outfit. It was a deep green blouse and matching belted blazer with a pencil skirt that made her feel as sleek as Lois.  
  
One of the few good things about spending months locked in a fake government facility with bad food was that she had finally lost the 10 pounds that she always hated. Well, maybe she hated 15. But now that she was back, she knew those last 5 weren't going away. But she still felt very sleek and professional.  
  
She told herself it was because of her first day at work that she took such care with her outfit and NOT because she might be seeing a certain handsome EMT.  
  
Or Jimmy, for that matter.  
  
She had told him she had a skittish guest staying with her and not to stop by the apartment. As usual, her vague answer got his back up. Finally, she decided to just tell him the whole story of Bette and endure his nervous lecture about letting an unknown street kid into her home. She knew he was only anxious because he loved her.  
  
She had been surprised that Clark was so supportive when she told him about her houseguest. That was until she remembered that he also had a tendency to take in "strays."  
  
She chuckled to herself. _Did that make her as heroic as Clark? No. A couch and a pint of Chunky Monkey and leftover takeout didn't qualify as hero material._ But she kept smiling.  
  
But after getting all dolled up in her pretty new outfit, she sat down to the cafe table in her kitchen still littered with the takeout containers from the night before and began working on her to-do list on a notepad.  
  
1\. Call hospital to get contact info for Davis.  
  
She had forgotten to get it from him yesterday at the hospital.  
  
2\. Ask him to follow up with his friend with the shelter.  
  
 _Maybe he could bring the application by Isis??_  
  
Bette interrupted her train of thought with a plate piled high with beautiful, crispy, grilled cheese placed in front of her. She had seen the girl cooking and, for once, food hadn't immediately registered with her. Her mind had been too full of what to do today.  
  
"Bette! Thank you so much!"  
  
Smiling shyly, the girl crossed her arms and in a chuckling voice replied, "It's just a grilled cheese. No big. All this take-out, I thought you could use something home-cooked."  
  
A knock on the door was immediately followed by Clark coming in the room.  
  
 _Why knock at all if you aren't going to wait for a reply?_  
  
She knew that Lex had had a serious hang up on Clark doing that. Maybe he had a point. Could she really be agreeing with Lex about something? Wow, maybe there was something wrong with her head. Or it could just be those weird dreams catching up with her.  
  
Startled, Bette jumped back from the large stranger who had just barged into the apartment.  
  
To Bette, Chloe said, "It's okay. It's just, uh, my friend Clark. Don't worry about it" Turning to the large alien that had so startled her guest, she glared pointedly and said, "What's up?"  
  
Recovering before he could reply, Bette jumped in with "W-wait, I remember you. You helped me get off the bus."  
  
"Yeah, I'm glad you're okay, Bette. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "Did you see anything before the blast? Anything unusual? Anything strange?"  
  
Nervous again, Bette glanced toward Chloe and back to Clark.  
  
"What are you, like a cop or something?"  
  
Catching that Clark was in "hunt mode" Chloe moved to intercept him. She walked over to him and grabbed his arm and pulled him away to speak with him quietly.  
  
"Clark, she's been through a lot. What's going on?"  
  
"The police say there's no evidence of a bomb. I think someone with a meteor power may have caused the blast."  
  
 _Oh no_ , Chloe thought. _Not another meteor freak going off the deep end._  
  
Piping up from behind them, Bette asked, "What's a meteor power?"  
  
Looking at Clark, Chloe decided to go with a simplified explanation.  
  
"Uh, sometimes, people develop special abilities after being exposed to a certain type of meteor rock."  
  
"Tommy," Bette breathed. "A-another street kid. He told me he found this weird rock a couple days ago, and now whenever he gets angry, things heat up. I thought he was messing with me. We got into a fight today. He was being a jerk, so I ran onto the bus to get away from him."  
  
"Do you know where I can find him?," Clark asked.  
  
"I know where he hangs. I think I can remember how to get there."  
  
Her concern building, Chloe knew this was the time to jump in. More than anyone, she knew that working with Clark when he was on the trail like this could be dangerous.  
  
"Wait, Bette. This guy sounds dangerous. I don't think you should go."  
  
Sensing her nervousness, Bette replied, "Well, I'll wait in the car. I-I can point him out to you."  
  
 _Well, it was supposed to have been a nice day_ , Chloe thought as she watched Clark leave with Bette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline shift  
> Ok, so I had to adjust the timeline here a bit and break these event into 2 days. By canon, they keep switching back and forth with this being in 1 day or 2. It just didn't make sense for it to be all in 1 day, so I broke it into 2.


	5. Chapter 5

Davis woke up before the alarm again. But this time it was because his mind was going a mile a minute and had been for most of the night.  
  
He only realized after she had left, that he hadn't gotten Chloe's contact information. Boyfriend or no, he wanted to know he could talk to her again.  
  
He had been so wrapped up in evaluating the woman herself that he had completely forgotten that if she did convince Bette to go into Ann's program, that she would need to contact him.  
  
He saw that as his best chance for getting to see her and talk to her again.  
  
 _How would he find her? He hadn't even gotten her last name._  
  
His only hope was that she may be on some of the paperwork that was submitted with Bette. Maybe she put her information as a contact or as a concerned person.  
  
He turned over again and punched the pillow.  


* * *

  
  
As he arrived though the doors of the hospital to get into his uniform and pick up his rig, the duty nurse called his name.  
  
"Hey Davis - got a message from you."  
  
Curious, he walked over to her. He didn't often get messages.  
  
Joan, the grandmotherly head nurse eyed him and handed him a slip of paper. It simply read, "Chloe Sullivan called. Cell is 555-555-1234."  
  
A huge smile lit up Davis' face.  
  
Seeing his happy expression, Joan quirked a smile and continued to eye him from over the tops of her reading glasses.  
  
"So it's like that, huh? She seemed like a nice girl."  
  
Beaming at the woman, Davis just said, "I hope it is. And yeah, I think she is."

* * *

  
He was very proud of himself. He waited a whole hour before calling Chloe. Chloe _Sullivan_.  
  
It was a good last name. It fit her. Kind of rolled around the tongue.  
  
He went to the lockers, and changed into his uniform. He picked up his bag and the keys to the rig.  
  
He knew he was smiling the whole time and some of the other drivers ribbed him a little. They all said he must have gotten some fine tail last night to be grinning that much when he still had a full day of work ahead.  
  
He chose not to disabuse them, because god knows that had also been a large part of what he had spent last thinking about.  
  
Finally settling into the front seat of the rig, he picked up the phone and dialed the number. He was kind of surprised he wasn't nervous. He was just excited. Though thinking about it, he wasn't nervous yesterday either. He had talked with her easily, though they hadn't really conversed about anything deeper than Bette's health and the directions to the cafeteria.  
  
She picked up on the second ring.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Chloe? This is Davis Bloome."  
  
"Hi Davis! Thank you so much for calling me! I realized earlier this morning that I hadn't gotten your contact info yesterday. So I figured the best way to get hold of you was to see if I could leave a message for Davis Bloome at the hospital. Thank god, I thought to read you name badge yesterday for your last name."  
  
 _She had been curious enough to read his badge? He saw badges all day and couldn't think of the last time he had actually paid attention to one. But then maybe if SHE had been wearing a badge, he would have thought to look._  
  
"Yeah, well, this is me calling from my cell, so now you have my number," he replied, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, excellent!" she chuckled. "An EMT might be a good person to know."  
  
He smiled at the phone again.  
  
"Anyway," she continued, "I wanted to know if you could talk to your friend about the home for Bette. We had a good conversation last night and I think she is willing to look into it."  
  
"Yeah, sure. I'll give Ann a call at lunch today and see if I can pick up an application."  
  
"Thank you so much, Davis. Do you think you could bring it by my office when you get a chance?"  
  
"Yeah, no problem."  
  
"Here's the address..." and she rattled off a location in downtown Metropolis.  
  
"Got it."  
  
"Ok, thanks again."  
  
"Yup."  
  
He hung up and found that he was still smiling.  
  
This was going to be a good day.


	6. Chapter 6

She was clearly trying to get herself killed.  
  
She was in a darkened office, balanced precariously on top of a table with her feet pulling out of a pair of green crazy-high heels reaching upwards with a lightbulb towards a fixture that was about 3 inches too high for her to reach.

While he did stand back and watch her for a few seconds, he finally had to interrupt her obvious suicide attempt. Watching her lovely legs stretch, the skirt ride up, and her blouse pull tight over her chest just wasn't worth her getting injured.  
  
"You know, if you just reach a little bit higher, you'll definitely need an ambulance."  
  
Her feet snapped back into her shoes and she turned towards him in startlement, her arm still upraised with the lightbulb.  
  
Smiling teasingly at him she replied, "Guess I'm lucky there's a paramedic in the building." She then turned back around and resumed trying to reach the fixture with the bulb.  
  
He watched her struggle a second longer, pacing forward slowly with his arms crossed, one hand dangling the application.  
  
"Yeah, well, you asked me to bring over this application."  
  
Smiling at her continued intent to reach the fixture, he easily stepped up onto the desk behind her.  
  
"Gimme," he said, taking the bulb from her hand and easily reaching up to the fixture. "Oh, I did talk to my friend. And she says that there's a spot open at the home for Bette."  
  
The room was suddenly filled with a soft golden glow when the bulb settled into the socket.  
  
He smiled and looked down from the warm light to her face. It was bathed in that same warm glow.  
  
She smiled happily, "That's great!" as she looked down from the light to his smiling face.  
  
They both realized immediately that they were separated by mere inches in an empty office.  
  
The air charged with a potent electricity.

* * *

  
  
The electricity thrilled through him. This was unlike the easy chatter from before. This made him think of silk sheets and the firm body he had just seem outlined by the form-fitting skirt she wore.  
  
He felt his smile vanish in a flash as he searched her eyes to see if she felt it too.  
  
 _Please let her feel it too._  
  
Her smile disappeared an instant after his own and he heard her breath catch. Her eyes dropped and she choked a bit nervously.  
  
 _So she DOES feel it._  
  
"Um... she could really use some good news right now." She smiled nervously.  
  
He smiled back at her attempt to cover the awkward heat.  
  
"Her day got even worse a little while ago, and she needed some space, so I came here."  
  
His smile vanished again as his eyes dropped to her still nervously smiling lips.  
  
He wanted to kiss her. He had been thinking about it all day. And now he was just inches away from those lips.  
  
 _No, she has a boyfriend -- the timing is wrong -- we are on a desk for god's sake! At least get her somewhere where she won't break her neck._  
  
He stepped back and off of the desk. He extended a hand to help her down. She took it without hesitation and also stepped down.  
  
"Thank you," she said as she reached the floor.  
  
He kept hold of her hand until she swung around to stand in front of him again. Though not as close as before.  
  
He wished they were still that close.  
  
Trying for lightness again, he said, "At least she had a place to stay, thanks to you."  
  
She cleared her throat nervously, and he finally realized he was still holding her hand. He released it quickly and brought up the hand that was holding the application for Bette and gave it to her.  
  
While she was distracted by the paperwork, he took the moment to step back and put some space between them to regain his composure. He moved to look at the logo on the far office wall and collect himself.  
  
 _Jesus, man, ease up. You don't want to come on too strong. Calm down, already._  
  
Still looking toward the logo, he said tried to lighten the mood again, "Isis Foundation. So, what -- adopt a pyramid, save a sphinx, that kind of thing?"  
  
He turned to look at her again. He was in control again. _Charm and humor now. Not I-want-to-grab-you-and-run-my-hands-all-over-you-while-standing-on-a-desk intensity._  


* * *

  
  
She smiled with something like relief along with humor at his silly comment.  
  
 _How had things gotten so intense there?_  
  
The only man who had ever managed to make her feel so fluttery and nervous had been Clark on those rare occasions when things started to get real between them.  
  
But Clark had always inevitably backed off.  
  
Davis hadn't backed off until she did, but now she would take the easy conversation.  
  
"Cute. Uh, actually, it's more like a counseling center. I'm house-sitting for a friend of mine till she finds someone to take it over."  
  
He looked surprised by that.  
  
"I'm surprised I haven't heard of it. The hospital sends out updates on all the mental-health facilities."  
  
Wanting to avoid his eyes a bit longer, she started looking around for something to do with her hands. She had left the damn application over by him. Looking a second longer, her eyes alit upon the dying flowers in the vase on the table. They were from Jimmy last week. He had gotten the start date for her new job wrong and had them delivered last Tuesday instead of today. They looked pretty sad now, but she had been touched by the thought even with the wrong dates.  
  
Picking up the vase and moving around the office behind Davis to the trash she replied, "Well...she has very specific clients -- people with special skills that are sometimes a little dangerous." Dead flowers met trashcan.  
  
"What, you mean like...meteor types?"  
  
She whirled around in surprise at his reply and blinked at him stupidly.  
  
He smirked slightly. "I drive an ambulance in Metropolis, Chloe. I've seen a lot of things -- at least enough to know that they could use the help."  
  
It was a rare thing for Chloe Sullivan to be speechless. So to buy some time to reply she placed the now-empty vase upon the table.  
  
Davis gazed at her intently with a questioning look and asked, "Have you ever thought about helping them?"  
  
Chloe laughed widely in disbelief. Is that what he thought she did here? No way. "No, I don't -- "  
  
Cutting her off, Davis went on, "I saw you with Bette today. You cared enough to take her under your wing. That's rare. And think how hard it must be for these meteor people to find someone they can trust."  
  
It was a nice thought, and he looked so sincere, but it just wasn't possible.  
  
To deflect him, and _yes, to pay him back a little_ for his comment yesterday, she teased out, "Yes, but am I streetwise enough?"  
  
She arced an eyebrow to make sure he caught the jab.  
  
Laughing sheepishly, he replied, "Okay, forget what I said earlier. I can come off a little strong."  
  
Ok, sexy-but-sheepish male was something she knew how to handle. She was feeling back on more secure footing.  
  
"It's okay. At least now I understand where it comes from."  
  
He looked at her inquiringly with his head cocked to one side.  
  
"Understand how?"  
  
 _Ok, you stepped into that. I guess it is confession time._ Unable to stay put to meet his eyes, she moved around him back to the other side of the room.  
  
"Well, I googled you." She chuckled at her own brazen response -- not that she had googled him, but that she admitted to doing it. "And I read an interview that you gave about running away from foster homes as a kid."  
  
He crossed his arms over his chest and spun around to face her as she circled around him.  
  
"You researched me?" he said in surprise.  
  
 _Now it was her turn to look sheepish._ She chuckled at her own nerve and his surprise as she felt the need to explain.  
  
He looked like it was Christmas morning and he had just been given three cars and a private island at the chance to tease her.  
  
"Well, you know, I always kind of wanted my own stalker," he drawled.  
  
He moved towards her, dropping his arms out to his sides, and smiling broadly.  
  
She couldn't help but respond to his delighted smile with one of her own as she moved in to close the distance between them.  
  
"No. It isn't like that, Davis. It's just that -- no, really, I-I used to be a reporter, and so I have a serious...curiosity complex." She found herself bouncing in her heels as she finished the comment.  
  
 _Why did she suddenly feel so giddy?_  
  
He continued to smile broadly and dropped his head a bit with his own laughter at her silly action.  
  
The action reminded her of a mannerism of Jimmy. And she suddenly burst out, "And I'm engaged."  
  
She flashed her hand up and waggled her finger with the gaudy plastic ring that was Jimmy's proposal ring.  


* * *

  
  
Davis' laughter immediately disappeared. He stared at the hideous plastic _thing_ that Chloe flashed before him.  
  
His heart dropped into his shoes. _He knew she had a boyfriend, but a fiance??? Oh, no...._  
  
He stood there a second with his mouth open in disbelief and horror.  


* * *

  
  
Chloe looked at Davis' shocked expression and oddly felt her own smile fade. _Damn, why had she done that?_  
  
 _Maybe just because she wanted to tell someone, and she had been feeling so comfortable this last minute with Davis, and earlier she had felt so...warm. Maybe because she knew this would push him to a more proper mindset than the one that had permeated the office in one way or another since he had first walked in._  
  
And maybe, she just wanted to remind HERSELF that she wasn't available...Not even for increasingly sexy EMT's.  
  
Looking fondly at the ring she still held up, she did decide to reveal at least one truth about it.  
  
"You're the first person I've told about that."  


* * *

  
  
He was rather proud of himself for recovering so quickly after the sucker-punch of her engagement.  
  
He rushed on quickly with a response, "Well, um, congratulations." Looking at the huge, bright plastic ring - _How had he missed THAT??_ \- he continued, "That's...a very unique engagement ring."  
  
Looking at the ring herself now, her voice turned introspective.  
  
"Uh, well, you know, it's the story behind the ring that really makes it special."  
  
"Hmmm?" He couldn't help but be curious. _What would it take to win the heart of this woman with a plastic ring?_  
  
"I went away for a little while, and he never gave upon me," she said simply.  
  
 _Smart man._  
  
Feeling slightly moved himself and in a strange sort of agreement with her lucky fiance for his wisdom in standing by Chloe, he admitted, "Well, Chloe, I grew up hearing a lot of four-letter words, and "love" wasn't exactly one of them."  
  
He searched her eyes to see if he could confirm what he said, "If you found it, real love, hold on to it." Her eyes dropped and she chewed her lips slightly.  
  
 _Hmmm, not sure what to make of that._  
  
But deciding not to push, he wanted to lighten the mood a bit.  
  
"And if anyone tells you that's a cliché, I'll personally kick their ass." He finished with a smile, which she slowly returned as she sensed his humor flowing from the final words.  
  
And here they were again, smiling at each other in easy companionship.  
  
He knew this was his cue to leave.  
  
Leaning forward in an odd sort of bow with his hands in his pockets, he said, "Goodnight, Chloe."  
  
"Goodnight, Davis."  
  
He turned for the door, and the lingering warmth from her smile kept his in place until he reached his car.  
  
Even when the smile and the warmth finally melted away, it became sorrow more than anything else. He couldn't be jealous of a man that was smart enough to know what a treasure Chloe was and had held on to her. With every single fiber of his soul he wished her nothing but all of the joy in the world.  
  
The sorrow was because he wasn't the one that could bring it to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loved writing this.
> 
> I just LOVE this scene. It goes through so much emotion in so little time and the chemistry was just fantastic.


	7. Chapter 7

Davis got into his car and leaned his head against the steering wheel. He was parked about a block down from the Isis building. He could see the lights were still on when he got into the car, but from this angle, he couldn't see Chloe inside. So he didn't try. He just took deep breaths with his arms pillowing his head on the wheel.  
  
His mind skittered from one thought to the next, but the ones that repeated the most were simple.  
  
 _There is something between us.  
  
But she isn't for you._  
  
His easy manner over his somewhat guarded past could be very appealing to women. He knew they also really liked the uniform. Finding women that were interested in him was easy. Finding ones that _he_ wanted, was the hard part. The very few that he had let a little close had all quickly run for the hills when his condition acted up.  
  
Turns out women didn't like a boyfriend that disappears in the middle of the night with no memory of where he had been. He would wake up in the oddest places and have no idea idea how he got there.  
  
His current rule with women was _No Sleepovers._  
  
That kind of limited the depth of a relationship.  
  
But he wanted Chloe. Even though they had just met, he wanted her with a strength that he could hardly understand.  
  
He wanted to get to know her better. He wanted to see her flash that gorgeous smile again. He wanted her to tease him again. He wanted to see her breath catch when he was close to her again.  
  
Then he wanted to get closer.  
  
Heat flooded his body, causing a growl to be torn from his throat. The erection that he had had for most of the last hour had finally started to subside as he sat in the car. Now it came springing back to life.  
  
He should head home and get a cold shower and maybe workout for a bit. Maybe if he tired out his body, his mind would follow suit.  


* * *

 

 

Davis stood shivering under the coldest water he could get from the tap in his shower. He had both palms flat against the wall and let the freezing water pour over his head, over his shoulders, and down his back.

Just when his body would begin to calm down, he would think of some element of _her_ and his body would flush all over again.

_Her smile. Her scent. Her legs as she stretched to reach the light._

He groaned again and finally shut off the water.

* * *

 

Davis placed the weights back in the stack and wiped an arm across his sweaty forehead.

He'd been lifting for the last hour using the home gym. He had set it up next to the window in what would normally be considered a dining room. He liked being next to the window while he worked out. He got the light and air that were lacking in most gyms. And besides, he never had guests over for "dining" so why not use the space for something useful?

When he did have people over, it was just usually a few guys for a beer and football. Or sometimes a woman. But that had been a very long time now. Either way, a dining table would have been unused.

Looking at the clock he decided it wasn't late enough to try for sleep. And he was still on edge.

He decided to head back into work. He had completely cut out on his paperwork today. He had taken his lunch break to meet up with Anne and then headed right over to Isis after his last drop-off.

He had originally planned to go in early and take care of it, but he could just do it now.

He jumped back in the shower - again. He made a face as he thought of the astronomical water bill he would surely be facing. But it would be worth it to get to know Chloe better.

Stepping out, he grabbed 2 dry towels off the shelf next to the shower. The ones he used before were still wet.

Wrapping one around his waist he used the other to do his hair. Opening the bathroom door, he crossed the hallway to bedroom.

He pulled a pair of black boxer-briefs, jeans, a grey t-shirt and a blue hoodie out and threw them across the bed.

He also grabbed a empty red duffel and filled it with a clean uniform. He'd drop the uniform and bag off at his locker for tomorrow.

His mind finally started to clear with a real task ahead and he got dressed.


	8. Chapter 8

Davis entered the hospital and walked behind the check in counter to grab the clipboard with the drop-off paperwork from the day. He spotted Joan in one of the rooms and waved to her. She smiled and waved back.  
  
Going through the pages on the clipboard he made his way through the hospital back towards the employee lockers. He wanted to drop the bag off first. Then he would pop into one of the open offices and go through the paperwork.  
  
Walking down the hallways he was surprised to see a tall guy in a terrible flannel shirt holding a large bouquet of flowers. People didn't usually get lost in this area of the hospital.

Approaching the guy, he looked around to see where the guy had come from.  
  
"You know, patients are on an entirely different floor."  
  
"You know, I thought I got off the elevator a little early," the guy replied somewhat lamely. Then a look of recognition crossed the man's face. "Wait. You're one of the rescue workers from the bus, right?"  
  
Looking at the guy more closely, he pictured him in a blue dress shirt instead of terrible flannel. This was Chloe's fiance.  
  
 _Ok, Davis, time to be the good guy. Play nice._  
  
"I thought I recognized you. For a guy without a uniform, you helped a lot of people."  
  
As he spoke, Davis was surprised to find he meant it. The guy had actually been rather heroic now that he thought about it. _Kind of figured though. Had to be an exceptional guy that would win Chloe's heart._  
  
The guy quickly played down the praise by replying, "Oh, I didn't do anything. I mean, you're the real hero. You help people for a living. I'm Clark Kent."  
  
Davis was actually kind of impressed by the response. He might try not to hate this guy.  
  
"Davis Bloome. I met your fiancée. Clark, congratulations. She's a real catch."  
  
Clark's eye's widened hugely. In a voice filled with shock, disbelief, and more than a trace of terror Clark questioned, "I'm getting married??"  
  
 _Oh shit. This guy isn't the fiance._  
  
Trying desperately to recover, the words just came tripped out of him.  
  
"Well, I thought that -- 'cause I saw you and Chloe together, and you seemed pretty close. When she said she was engaged --"  
  
Clark's eyebrows shot up again as he was floored by that news too. "Chloe's engaged?"  
  
 _Shit! Shit! Shit! Just stop, Davis. Stop NOW!_  
  
Trying to look anywhere, but at the man he was now spilling all Chloe's secrets to, Davis attempted to recover by playing on the guy code.  
  
"Oh, man. Okay, my brain's gone completely D.O.A." Then switching to a conspiratorial tone and meeting the guy's eyes, he pleaded, "Clark, she said she hadn't told anyone yet. Do me a favor..." Davis moved around the guy and patted Clark's shoulder in a help-a-brother-out way. _(Guy code initiated.)_ "Don't tell her I said anything."  
  
Deciding that discretion might be the better part of valor he quickly moved down the hall. Though his discretion was holding up poorly.  
  
Behind him, Davis heard Clark mutter, "I won't reveal my source."  
  
He actually kind of smiled at that. It was a bit fun to startle the guy now that he was done actively spilling Chloe's secrets. Maybe it was because the first time he saw Clark Kent, he had his hands on Chloe, but something inside him like tweaking the tall man.  
  
Putting all thoughts of Clark out of his head he continued back to the locker room.


	9. Chapter 9

It really wasn't a good day.  
  
Chloe was driving back to Metropolis after the conclusion of the events in Smallville.  
  
The attack by Bette, had been a shocking turn. She was glad that she had been able to talk about it with Clark. Oddly, he took the opposite viewpoint from Davis, but that was what struck a chord in her. Clark thought the meteor freaks were unlikely to want help after hiding their abilities for so long. That made her think of Davis saying they didn't have anywhere to go. That was the catch. If you did want help, there weren't any options right now. Someone needed to be there early to help them manage, so they wouldn't have to be so scared and secretive.  
  
Her lovely green outfit was the worse for wear after almost being killed, so she changed into a new pink ensemble.  
  
She decided to take the drive into the Isis office and see if she could come to a final conclusion by poring over some of Lana's files.  
  
Could she really do this? Could she help the meteor infected before they became a danger to society?  


* * *

  
  
A few minutes of going through the Isis files gave Chloe her answer. Her new power of processing information had made going through the hundreds of files the work of mere minutes, but most of those files told the same story. When the powers came upon the subject, most were afraid and had no where to turn.  
  
She thought of her own experience and how her fear caused her to break up with Jimmy.  
  
That sealed her decision. She would not just be a babysitter. She was going to run Isis.  
  
Her mind made up, Chloe thought that she should share her decision with one of the people that helped her make it.  
  
She had saved Davis' number earlier, so hit the button for his cell. She was disappointed when it went straight to voicemail.  
  
"Hi, Davis. It's Chloe Sullivan. I, uh, I just wanted to call and say thanks for helping out with Bette. It's too bad that that didn't, uh, work out." Her heart sank a little as she reflected on the events of earlier and how it "hadn't worked out.". "But I also wanted to let you know that I've decided to reopen the Isis Foundation, and a few things that you said helped me make that decision. So...thanks." She chuckled a bit at her own lame sounding comment. "Okay, well... stay safe out there. Take care."  


* * *

  
  
Davis woke with a scream in an alley. He was cold and wet. And naked...  
  
The blackouts are back again, and this was a bad one.  
  
How did this day turn so awful?


	10. Chapter 10

Several days had passed before Davis finally called Chloe back. He had listened to her message at least a dozen times, but the return of the blackouts had really freaked him out. Thankfully though he hadn't had any repeats of that frightening alley wake up. Finally he decided to check in and see how her venture running the foundation for the meteor infected was going. He had been really touched that his comments had helped sway her to restart Isis.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi Chloe, it's Davis Bloome."  
  
"Davis! How are you? Did you get my message? I decided you were right. I'm restarting Isis."  
  
"Yeah I did. Sorry it took me a while to respond. I've just been a bit...tied up." That part was truer than she would ever know. He'd started tying himself to the bed at night.  
  
"Ah ok. You know I'm really glad you called. I could use some feedback from you."  
  
"Oh yeah? On what?'  
  
"Well I've been going through my friend's notes and stuff. She had a number of facilities listed that she wanted to follow up with about treating the meteor infected. But she never was able to do that. I remember you said the hospital sent out updates on different treatment facilities. Could I pick your brain on some of them?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. I'd be glad to help." And he found he was. He had wanted to see her again every day since they had met. To do that and help people get the treatment they need? That was just a double win.  
  
"Would you be free one day this week? We could meet at Isis or...no. Why don't we do coffee instead? You are doing me a favor, and I've been in this office too much."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"How about tomorrow? I'm off and there is a really nice cafe across from my apartment building. We could meet there," he said.  
  
"Sounds good. Text me a time and address and I'll be there!"  


* * *

 

 

The next afternoon, Davis sat at one of the tables inside the cafe. He was contemplating beer or coffee.

He decided on beer just as Chloe appeared in the doorway carrying a laptop case slung over her shoulder.

She was wearing a pretty pink skirt and white top with a little pink jacket. Davis thought she looked adorable.

She saw him instantly and flashed her lovely smile as she moved to his table and sat down.

"Hey Davis. Thanks so much for agreeing to meet up with me."

"No problem."

"What are you getting? I'm buying."

"No way, I'll buy."

"I insist, it means a lot to me that you are willing to help me with this."

"Ok. A beer please."

"Afternoon drinker, eh?" She lifted a brow.

"Yeah, well, it is my day off." He flashed her a lopsided smile of his own and his eyes sparkled at her mild teasing.

She waved a waitress over, and ordered a coffee thing with lots of syllables and his beer.

She reached down to her laptop case and pulled the slick machine out and opened it on the table.

She typed away for a few seconds and brought up a number of webpages of different treatment facilities around Metropolis.

_Wow, she was fast._ He would still have been opening the browser.

"Ok, shall we get started then?" She smiled broadly at him as she turned the machine around to face him.

_I think we have already begun_ , he thought and smiled back.

* * *

 

Two beers and six coffee somethings later, Chloe leaned back from the computer.

"Whew. That is all of them." She interlocked her fingers and lifted her arms over her head in a stretch.

His mouth went dry as her white top pulled tight across her chest. She had draped the little jacket on her chair back several hours ago.

Releasing her stretch, she turned to gaze at Davis. He swallowed quickly and dropped his gaze to his bottle again. He returned to peeling the label from his beer bottle.

Her hand reached out and covered one of his on the bottle.

Surprised he looked up into her warm eyes.

"I know I said it before, but I do appreciate your help."

He smiled back at her lopsidedly. "Yeah well, it was selfish of me actually."

She removed her hand and settled back in her chair.

He missed that hand.

She arced a brow at him. "Oh? And how is that?"

"Well if you are able to help these people control their powers better, there might not be so much need for a paramedic."

She grinned widely as she leaned forward again and crossed her arms on the table. "But I would think you wouldn't want that. You know, right now there is job security."

His face became more serious and he paused in the act of peeling the label again. "I'd be ok with there being less people needing help. But I don't think I'll ever lose job security. Too many bad people hurting others out there."

Her face also grew more serious.

He felt their time together today should be drawing to a close, but he sensed that she wanted to linger. He certainly wanted her to.

He waved a hand to indicate the cafe around him. "Have you been to this part of the city before? You never mentioned where you live."

She smiled again and looked around the cute cafe and tree-lined street. "No, though it is a really nice area. I think you said you live here, right? I have quite a commute actually. I live over in Smallville. In a little apartment above a coffee shop called The Talon."

He blinked. "Wow that is a commute! Why so far?" Then realizing that might seem nosy, he softened the subject. "That is my apartment building over there," he said pointing at a brick building across the way. "The third window on the top floor."

She turned to look where he was pointing and then back at him.

"Well to your question, I mostly grew up in Smallville. My dad and I moved there right before eighth grade. I took over the apartment because it was really cheap. Though it is small and shared with my cousin, Lois."

"Yeah, rents in the city can be pretty high. I got a great deal on my apartment because I helped save the owner's life."

She blinked at him in surprise for a second before responding, "Oh, was he one of your patients?"

"Yeah. When I got to their apartment he was having a massive heart attack. I was able to stabilize him long enough to get him to the hospital. He went into surgery as soon as we arrived. Poor guy - his name is Frank - was in there for weeks. I would stop in and visit with him once in a while. Nice guy, great family. I was talking to him one day and mentioned looking for an apartment. He insisted on me taking the open one in the building at a much lower than normal rate." He smiled in his lopsided way again. "I think he and his wife feel better knowing that there is a paramedic living a few floors above them if anything else were ever to happen."

Chloe smiled back again. "Yeah, I can see that." She laughed. "Didn't I say something like that myself?"

He lifted the bottle to his lips again, still smiling. "Oh so you plan on using my medical skills on top of everything I ever knew about treatment centers?"

She laughed again, "Hope not." She winked at him. "But good to know you anyway."

Davis agreed. He very much liked knowing Chloe.


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as Oliver said he was poisoned and not to take him to the hospital, Chloe immediately knew what had to be done.  
  
"Clark! We should take him to Isis. It is close and we can keep him isolated there. I'll call Davis and see if he can help."  
  
Clark looked like he was going to disagree, but Oliver spoke up again.  
  
"No hospital"  
  
Clark set his jaw and wrapped Oliver's arm over his shoulder.  
  
"Ok, fine. We take him to Isis."  
  
Chloe started dialing. She really hoped he wasn't on a call already. He was on shift tonight.  
  
She chose not to admit that she had hacked into the hospital database earlier and reviewed the EMT work schedules.  
  
"Davis Bloome."  
  
"Davis! Thank god you picked up. Are you on a run?"  
  
"No, I just dropped someone off. What's wrong?"  
  
Chloe tried to control her panic.  
  
"I know we joked about it being good to know a paramedic. But, Davis! My friend Oliver is sick and he insists we can't take him to the hospital. He is unsteady and hot to the touch. Please help. We are going to be at Isis."  
  
"I'm on my way." She could hear the resolve in his voice and it steadied her like nothing else could have.  
  
Clark carried Oliver through the door or Isis.  
  
"Chloe, he's getting worse. If it's poison, we need to get him to a hospital," Clark bellowed out as he released Oliver's arm. Oliver was barely able to steady himself as he collapsed onto the lounger in the front office.  
  
"Davis is on his way."  
  
"He needs a doctor, Chloe."  
  
Chloe gripped Clark's arm as pulled him aside.  
  
"Clark, if Oliver said he wants to avoid all MDs and hospitals, I'm sure has a really good reason."  
  
"I'm not gonna stand here and watch my friend die!"  
  
Chloe knew it was fear for his friend that was making Clark so loud and unreasonable.  
  
"Clark, do you think this is easy for me? I know Oliver, too. I've worked side by side with him. And when he says to do something, it's always for a reason."  
  
"But this time it's different! His life's at stake!"  
  
"Clark, if you were lying on that couch, I would do whatever you asked, down to the letter. I wouldn't hesitate. Now trust him." Chloe pleaded with him with her eyes, asking Clark to understand. To trust. She knew trust was a hard thing for Clark, but she knew Oliver. He had been leading their hero team for years. She knew he didn't give pointless orders. If he said no hospitals, there was a reason.  
  
"I'm gonna check his phone, see if I can find the number of the girl he was with tonight." Clark turned away and started pressing on the phone keypad of Ollie's phone which he drew from his jacket pocket.  
  
 _Well, it isn't exactly agreement, but it looks like he isn't going to drag Ollie away against his wishes._  
  
Just then Davis appeared in the office door, with his kit in hand. He moved directly over to Oliver and dropped the bag.  
  
 _Right into paramedic mode. Thank god._  
  
Aloud she said, "Thank god. Davis."  
  
"He is a lot worse than you said he was, Chloe." He swiftly began to go examine Oliver.  
  
Oliver looked terrible. He was already much worse then when he collapsed at The Ace of Clubs.  
  
"We think he may have been poisoned," she admitted.  
  
Jumping in Clark demanded, "Can you help him?"  
  
Quickly wrapping the exam, Davis answered, "Uh... his pulse is racing... and he's burning up. He's stable, so I can set him up with a heart monitor, take his blood to the lab," standing he finished, "But if things don't look better in one hour, I got to bring him in."  
  
She knew Davis didn't like that they weren't willing to go to the ER. After all, he was an EMT. His job was to keep people alive long enough to get them to the hospital. Not to cure them where they stood.  
  
Moving to face him, Chloe looked at Davis intently. She put as much feeling as she could into her voice. "I know you're risking your job to do this, but you can trust me."  
  
He sighed heavily, but she knew he was going to acquiesce. She was right.  
  
"Watch him. If anything changes, call," he told her intently. "I'll get the monitor."  
  
With that he turned and left as most a quickly as Bart.  
  
Closing the door behind Davis, she moved to stand before Clark.  
  
Looking at Olier's phone, Clark said, "His date's name is Adrianna. It showed up in the calendar."  
  
"And she didn't call after he disappeared from the event?"  
  
"No, and she won't pick up, either. I'm gonna go to the bar and see if she's still there."  
  
"Let's hope for Oliver's sake that she knows something." And just like that Clark left too. Chloe sighed heavily.  
  
Looking at the sweaty Oliver breathing erratically on the couch, she hoped between the two men that just left they could get him some help.  
  
In the meantime, she would see what she could dig up using the Isis computers. Maybe she could track down what poisoned Ollie.  


* * *

 

Chloe returned to the computers after getting Lois settled in looking after Oliver. She had some good leads on the type of poison.

 

Her ability had grown even in the short time since being in the facility. She could sort through information on the monitors before even all the pixels resolved on the screens. It made the screens appear to blur.

This was actually really cool.

She had regretted the loss of her healing ability when she had tried to save Clark in the facility after a mind-drugged Oliver shot him with an arrow. But she didn't miss the pain and the, well, _dying_ that also went along with that power.

The slight forgetfulness she sometimes had was a much better trade off for this incredible processing power.

She didn't feel burdened by this gift. She felt _powerful_.

* * *

 

Chloe could hear Davis and Lois out in the front office of Isis. Lois was shouting at Davis. She felt a pang of pity for the EMT. Determined Lois could be scary. She momentarily thought about going out to see if she could help, but knew she would be more useful where she was. She was trying to see if she could find a way for them to synthesize the ingredients for the serum using the research notes from the Luthercorp facility. Unfortunately it wasn't looking good. It just took too much time. And of course they would have to get to a lab to do it...

She would leave Lois to provide love and support, and Davis to provide medical care.

Her phone rang with the loud piercing ring she had reserved for Clark. She scrambled it open praying for good news from the new monarch of Luthorcorp.

"Chloe, Tess said the antidote is in a research lab in Cabo Grande, Brazil. I'm on my way, but I need you to guide me through and tell me what I am looking for."

Relieved, that there was a cure already manufactured, Chloe set her jaw and put on her Bluetooth headset.

"Ok, let's do this."

* * *

 

Clark had the serum.

A few seconds later, she heard his distinctive whoosh as he came through the door.

Oliver would be ok now.

She had to cover their tracks. She manipulated the Luthorcorp computers to order the creation of another batch of the antidote to cover up the loss of the one that Clark stole. It wouldn't do for Tess Mercer to find out that minutes after being told of the existence of the serum in the lab that it had gone missing. She also wiped all the security footage and keycard records of all areas where Clark had been.

Next she hacked into Queen Consolidated. She created records of the serum in one of their local labs. She gave Clark Kent authorization and entered logs of him removing the antidote.

If anyone wanted to know where the serum that saved Oliver had come from, they now had an answer.

She heard Oliver's voice. It sounded strong. He was shouting something at Clark.

This power was _definitely_ a good thing.

* * *

 

She walked out a few minutes later. Oliver was sitting up and drinking thirstily from a large glass of water as Lois hovered over him. Davis stood in the background holding an empty syringe.

Oliver was looking stronger by the minute.

Finishing the large glass, he handed it back to Lois. Lois accepted the glass and promptly slapped Oliver. _Hard._

Chloe winced for Oliver.

"How dare you go and get yourself poisoned and scare the help out of me! I mean...us. US!" Lois screamed at him. She turned around, picked up her jacket, and slammed out the door.

Chloe wondered when Lois would realize that was still holding Oliver's water glass.

Davis was still standing behind Oliver looking dumbfounded. He looked over at the door Lois had recently slammed, to Oliver, then to the door again.

Chloe smiled. It was a lot to take in.

Oliver rubbed his cheek. "Ow...." he complained. Then he glanced up as he saw Chloe in the doorway from the back office.

Oliver saw her smile directed over him and turned and looked behind him to where Davis stood.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Oliver!" Chloe cried stepping forward. "This is Davis. He is a paramedic friend of mine. Oh, and he helped _SAVE YOUR LIFE_."

Oliver had the sense to wince. Though she did hear him mumble, "I almost died. You'd think everyone would stop yelling at me."

Turning around, Oliver stood up and offered his hand to Davis. "Hey, Oliver Queen. It seems I owe you a debt. If you ever need anything. Contact me." He glanced over at Chloe as if to check that she saw him playing nice. Looking back at Davis, he continued, "But even if it weren't for that, any friend of Chloe, is a friend of mine." He flashed his most charming smile at Davis.

Davis still seemed off kilter, but accepted the other man's hand. "Davis Bloome. Nice to meet you. Glad you made it."

Releasing Oliver's hand, he bent down to retrieve his kit. He put the syringe into a sharps case and threw the bag over his shoulder.

"It has been a crazy night, and I'm sure you and your friends have a lot to discuss." Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a business card and handed it to Oliver. "If you have any more symptoms, please contact me." Finally he seemed to be back on solid footing. Back to being "on the job." He smiled at the other man. "I'd hate to think we worked so hard to save your life for nothing."

He looked across at Chloe and smiled.

"Chloe," he said simply before darting for the exit.

Chloe moved to follow after him, but Oliver caught her arm. He looked down at her intently.

"Chloe, how? How did you all save me?"

Chloe looked out the door at Davis' fast retreating back, but he was already gone.

She sighed heavily and moved to sit down on the lounger. Oliver sat next to her.

"Well, after you collapsed, I called Davis to come look at you..."


	12. Chapter 12

Chloe walked into the Isis office the next morning. She was idly sorting through the mail as she walked through the door.  
  
She heard a door close and she saw a figure move behind the frosted glass towards the back room. The _very_ back room.  
  
Moving into the doorway warily, she spied a broad back looking at all the monitors. He was dressed casually today. Brown jacket, jeans, and another black t-shirt. He had a fondness for black tees, she noted idly. She already knew that he had off today. 

Her research on the poison flower was still posted on all the monitors. Notes, documents, books, and printouts covered the entirety of every flat surface in her office. It must have looked like the laboratory of a mad horticulturist.  
  
As if he sensed her presence, Davis turned to face her.  
  
Her instant fear of what he must think of her overwhelming mental powers caused her to snap sharply at the sexy EMT.  
  
"I thought I closed those." She marched forward through the should-have-been-closed pocket doors and into the backroom briskly. She started turning off monitors.  
  
"I'm sorry. They were open," he said without a trace of contrition. Just a sort of surprise at her distress.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked to cover her upset.   
  
He wandered out of the back computer room and into her office. She took the opportunity to hit the desk monitor and grabbed the main remote to turn off the wall screens.   
  
"Uh, well, I was checking in on Oliver. It was a hell of a close call last night. He's got a pretty great crew of friends."  
  
 _Ha! Yeah, he does. Even if you got to see a lot of their bad sides last night._  
  
"Yeah. Renegade paramedic included," she said with a nervous chuckle. She hoped the comment would distract him, but when she turned around she saw he was still in danger territory. He was now eying over the disaster of information overload on her desk.  
  
He started pacing the desk, perusing the collection of paper littering the surface.  
  
She frantically followed behind him, trying to collect the incriminating evidence of her excessive researching and analysis skills.  
  
"You must have done pretty well on your S.A.T.s. I thought you said you studied journalism," he commented as he selected one sheet of paper that somehow struck him as more interesting than the others.  
  
She frantically continued to grab up papers. She wasn't exactly sure why she didn't want him to see everything. Maybe she just didn't want him to see her a a freak.  
  
"Well, yeah, journalism, and then there were the core classes and some, you know, electives and stuff." She knew it sounded lame, but she had no idea what else to say.  
  
She looked up when she realized he had stopped passing around the desk. He was peering closely at one page.   
  
"Level with me, Chloe. Are you some kind of genius?" She snatched the page back as he continued without breaking.   
"I'm embarrassing you," he said completely deadpan as he turned to look at her. She knew her anxiety was written all over her face.   
  
Would he call her freak now? She didn't think so considering how open minded he had been about everything so far. He had taken everything from a homeless teen, to a meteor freak counseling center, to a poisoned friend perfectly in stride.   
  
But she knew that meteor freaks in abstract were one thing. Knowing your own friend was one is another thing all together.  
  
Her fear caused her to snap defensively, "There's a reason I like to try and keep the doors closed."  
  
Without preamble, but with great conviction, he answered, "You know, there's nothing wrong with being smart."  
  
He smiled like it was just the most obvious and natural thing in the world. She instantly knew that he must not comprehend just how smart she really was now. There was no way he would have accepted it so easily otherwise. Clark had made it plain that he found her new Brainiac inspired intelligence to be frightening.  
  
So she simply looked at him with a doubtful smile and clarified. "When the seating chart at your wedding looks more like a Euclidean algorithm than a dining hall, you know you've got something seriously wrong." She marched away with cluster of papers in hand and shoved them into a random filling cabinet drawer. She shut the drawer with a satisfying slam.  
  
Why did she say there was something wrong? Hadn't she already decided she loved her new ability? A rush of pleasure filled her. Yes she did. There was nothing wrong with her.  
  
Not being privy to her internal conversation, Davis followed her spoken one. But not in the direction she would have expected.  
  
He looked down as if he really didn't want to ask what he felt he should.  
  
"And the guy next to you on that seating chart, what does he think about all this?"  
  
Thinking of Jimmy and how she was once again keeping him the dark about her powers, she couldn't meet Davis' eyes. She hated lying to Jimmy even if it was by omission, but she couldn't put him through more meteor/alien drama. Jimmy knew about her healing power, but this was different. He might side with Clark and think she needed fixing. She couldn't have that. It was better he still thought her power was just healing.  
  
Davis had been carefully watching her face and must have read the answer there. She wasn't sure if he was perceptive, or if she had been that easy to read. He had seemed oblivious to her earlier distress, so she wasn't sure. Though it was possible he was teasing her earlier. But now he knew her thoughts. He paced forward like a hound on a scent.   
  
"He doesn't know," Davis said with a tone that was equal parts surety and disbelief.  
  
Feeling the need to justify herself in the face of such blunt truth, Chloe responded to his direct look. She knew her own expression begged him to understand.  
  
"Well, it's all sort of just happening," hearing the slightly whiny note in her voice, she firmed her tone. "Which is why I would really prefer it if we could keep it between us." She finished strongly by looking into Davis'eyes and adding a bit of force to her look. She wanted to make sure he also didn't think she was in need of fixing.  
  
He smiled warmly and his eyes filled with understanding and his own own unique humor.   
  
"Look, Chloe, I think that, in some weird way, we all have some part of us that we hold underneath the surface."  
  
Wow. That was pretty profound and so artlessly simple. He really is that open minded, isn't he?  
  
Continuing over her mental commentary, he good naturedly finished, "Even I do."  
  
His warm smile and the light in his eyes spoke of understanding and kinship.   
  
How was it that this man that she knew so little, knew her so much?  
  
She snorted a little at the humor of his comment and her own thoughts. She smiled back at him.  
  
Suddenly, his face fell. Moving around her, Davis made his way toward the door.  
  
"Well, since I haven't gotten any more frantic calls, I assume Oliver is doing OK. So I should really get going."  
  
Chloe turned to watch him go. She was a bit surprised at his sudden decision to go when he had seemed so intent on exploring her office and teasing her. She wondered what he had thought of that caused him to flee.  
  
She suddenly realized that was the second time he had been in the office in as many days and gotten barked at for his troubles by just about everyone. Now including her, it seemed.  
  
He was owed a serious _Thank You_. Not being snapped at.  
  
She would have to do something really nice to show she really was grateful after all this.  
  
She would have to think on it a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ungrateful...  
> Ever notice how rarely our heroes stop to say thanks? I wanted to show that our girl is better than that...and write a really fun scene too (tease...) :)


	13. Chapter 13

Davis knew that Chloe was surprised and maybe a little bothered by his abrupt departure. But the comment he had tossed out to help relieve her anxiety had the opposite effect on him.   
  
"We all have some part of us that we hold underneath the surface. Even I do."

Never were words ever so true.  
  
And those words started to bring that buried part of him to the surface. He felt the sort of dimming of mind that warned of an oncoming blackout. If he could focus his mind again, he might be able to push it back. He had to get somewhere quiet where he could focus. Where he could _fight_.  
  
He raced out of Isis and over to his car. He again found himself with his head pillowed on his arms over his steering wheel. But this time instead of focusing to control his body, he was trying to control his mind.   
  
Her didn't always have warning when the blackouts were coming, but he had learned a few tricks that helped him manage when they did. He purposely slowed his breathing and focused the fuzzy edges of his mind on a single thought or image. It shouldn't be a surprise that since he just left her, that the image he was best able to focus upon right now was Chloe.  
  
He let the thought of her solidify in his mind. At first it was difficult. It had been precious minutes since the blackness had first started creeping in. He had to fight it back inch by mental inch. He started small - just picturing her face. Then her smile. That did it. The blackness started to flee.   
  
_Now that was new._  
  
It was almost as though the light of her smile and the warmth of her eyes melted the darkness. Never had he pushed it back so easily before. In no time at all his mind was clear again.  
  
He looked at the clock. He had only been in the car about fifteen minutes. He stared at the time dumbfounded. It was usually the work of hours to pull his mind together again. He looked up at the windows to Isis. What was it between them that gave her such power?


	14. Chapter 14

Chloe parked outside of Davis' apartment building. She walked around to the passenger side of the car to retrieve her thank you gifts for Davis. Two dozen fresh made chocolate chip cookies and a six pack of microbrew beer. The cookies were pretty much the only thing she could make. And since he was a guy she figured that beer was a safe bet. Holding the plastic bin of cookies she balanced the beer on top to shut and lock the door. Facing the building she almost dropped both offerings. 

Davis was clearly visible in the top story window. He was working out on the weight set framed by the large open glass pane. Even from the distance of the cafe where they had met, he was perfectly clear. And perfectly shirtless. And perfectly glistening with sweat over tight, hard muscle.  
  
Chloe felt her mouth go dry. She had seen shirtless men before. Both Clark and Oliver were very impressive bare chested. And Jimmy was nice too, though not cut like the other two. Make that three. So why was she so struck by this now? Maybe it was the voyeurism of it, but she couldn't drag her eyes away.  
  
She just stood next to her car holding the cookies and beer. She watched the play of muscles as he lifted the bar over his head. Eventually, he finished the set and sat up at the end of the bench. He played a bit of air drums. He appeared to be singing along with whatever music was playing on the iPod he wore clipped to his glistening left arm. She smiled widely at the unexpected guy moment.  
  
Finally he stood and started putting the weights away and resetting the stacks. Chloe snapped out of her trance and ran across the street and into the apartment lobby. Looking at the resident list, she rang the buzzer for his apartment. A few seconds later she heard his voice over the intercom.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi Davis. It's Chloe Sullivan. I wanted to say sorry and also a belated thank you. So...I actually come bearing gifts. Can I... Um... Come up?"  
  
"Chloe? Uh, yeah, sure."  
  
The buzzer sounded, unlocking the lobby door to the stairway and she made her way up to his apartment.  
  
She knocked on his apartment door, juggling the beer and cookies.  
  
He opened the door a second later, wiping of his face with a workout towel before throwing it over his shoulder.  
  
"Uh hey. Come on in. What is all this?" he asked, taking the beer and cookies.  
  
"Those are actually thank you gifts for helping Oliver. I realized that none of us really actually said that. I mean Ollie did sort of, but only after yelling at you. Yeah...and then I yelled at you when you stopped in, so I'm also sorry. So I baked those for you and that is a really excellent IPA. I hope you like them."  
  
On dear God, she was completely rambling. Why didn't he have a shirt on yet? He had stopped exercising a full 2 minutes ago. She was having a very hard time concentrating with all that glossy muscle so close. She could also smell the maleness of him. He should smell like exercise stink, but he didn't. He smelled like sweat, and male, and something else she couldn't identify but rather liked.  
  
He was looking at her strangely. She suddenly realized she had just been standing in the threshold staring at him and rambling.  
  
She cleared her throat and stepped in through the door. He shifted back to let her through and closed the door behind. Now that he was out of her eyeline, she looked around the apartment curiously. All of the furniture was made of simple lines and dark colors. It was all done in surprisingly good taste. And almost more surprising in a single guy living alone, everything was scrupulously clean. Not even a glass on the coffee table. _And oh my god, he has coasters?!_  
  
She spun to look at him with an eyebrow raised.   
  
He looked around as if trying to see what she saw.  
  
"What?"  
  
She shrugged. "Just not what I expected. Everything is so neat."  
  
He laughed.  
  
"Yeah well growing up in foster care means you have very little control in your life. When I finally had the chance to make my own home, I found that I liked having order."  
  
"Ah yes, that makes sense."  
  
She walked over to the dark couch and sat down sideways to keep him in view.   
  
"Yeah, so like I was saying. We really are very grateful for what you did with Oliver. I know you risked a lot for us. But he would have died without your help."   
  
He walked over to the kitchen area and placed the gifts down on the counter. Pulling out a bottle opener from one of the drawers, he spun to pluck two of the beers from the pack. He carried them over to the couch and sat down on the other end from her. She shifted to face him again. Holding both bottles in one hand, he deftly popped the caps off and handed her one of the bottles. Tilting his bottle up at her, she smiled and clinked her bottle to his and they both took a sip.  
  
He looked at the bottle in appreciation. "Wow, that is good. And well timed. Just finished my workout and was dying for a beer to cool off."  
  
She smiled, "Not water?"  
  
He grinned broadly, "Beer is better."  
  
She laughed as he took another long pull from the bottle.  
  
Sobering, she said, "Yeah...so sorry to have snapped at you when you stopped by before. I just really didn't expect anyone there and then you were in the area that I usually keep closed. It just startled me and I handled it poorly. Especially after all the help you have been with Isis and then with Ollie."  
  
He smiled wryly, "Yeah, well maybe I should have left when I saw no one was there, but I figured you would be in soon. I don't always think before I speak...or act. I am sorry to have scared you, though I stand by what I said about being proud of your ability."  
  
He took another pull of beer and she did the same, though he was definitely outpacing her.  
  
"Oh, I actually wanted to touch base with you again anyway, " he said.  
  
"Yeah? So will I have another early morning scare?" She smiled teasingly, causing him to laugh.  
  
"I was actually going to phone ahead this time. But another clinic opened up outside Metropolis that I thought might be a good contact for you."  
  
"Oh, awesome. What's the story?"  
  
"I have all the info in my room and we can go over it now if you like." Standing up, he sniffed himself. "Though I think I need a shower first. Would you mind? I won't be long."  
  
"No that is fine. I can just watch some TV while you shower."  
  
"Ok, cool." He walked over to the kitchen, and pulled another beer and flashed a smile. "One for the road."  
  
She laughed again. "Wow, and here I thought the cookies would be the big hit."  
  
He smiled broadly as he popped the cap from the new beer. "Oh, they will be. But those are for work. I will use them to barter favors." His smile turned wicked.  
  
He started drinking the second beer as he walked into what she assumed must be the bathroom and closed the door. A second later she heard a shower run.  
  
She started looking over the collection of remote controls to see which one would turn on the typical size-of-a-small-continent guy TV. She realized that she had never heard the sound of the bottle being put down. Had he taken the bottle into the shower with him?  
  
The mental picture that snapped into her head was as sudden as it was hot. All that naked skin and muscle with water pouring down as he tilted his head back to take a drink...it was exceedingly erotic. She knew her mouth dropped open and felt her breathing quicken as she mentally replayed the flexing of his chest and arms as they would appear with cascades of water. Would it run down his back or front? She pictured both scenarios, and couldn't decide which she liked better.  
  
 _Down girl! Seriously get a grip! Think of Jimmy!_  
  
She realized a second later that thinking of her fiancé really shouldn't work to tame lust, but she quickly pushed that thought aside.  
  
She had just finished trying to calm her thoughts when she heard the water shut off. Soon the door opened from the bathroom and a squeaky clean Davis stepped out. And for the third - or was it fourth? - time that day Chloe felt her mouth go dry and her breath hitch as she gawked at Davis. He looked just like her fantasy of a second ago. Well except for the cascades of water. He was still wet and droplets glistened on his skin. His wet hair dripped down onto his broad shoulders. A drop fell from his hair and trickled down the strong column of his neck as he tilted his head back to drain the beer. She couldn't pull her eyes away from the trail of that drop.  
  
So he actually had taken the beer into the shower.  
  
As he finished the beer, her eyes followed the motion of his hand as it fell to his side. He had a dark blue towel wrapped low on his hips. She could see those fascinating little dips in his hips that would trail down to his groin. She had a desperate desire to bite the top of those dips and then trace her tongue down. She heard her breath start coming fast again. He ducked back into the bathroom and she heard a cabinet open and close. He came out with a second smaller towel that he began using to dry his hair.  
  
"That is much better" he stated with a satisfied voice.  
  
"Huh?" she replied wittily.  
  
"Being clean. I feel half human again. Let me just throw on some clothes and I'll be right out." As he walked away he called out, "Couldn't figure out the TV setup, Smarty?"  
  
"Uh no. Though I think I might have erased every episode of Battlestar Galactica from your DVR."  
  
"Don't even joke about that!"  
  
She laughed. The spell was broken. She knew that her super brain could have gotten the TV going, but she had gotten lost in her last fantasies. However she certainly couldn't tell him that! Better to be thought lame.  
  
He walked out a second later in dark plaid lounger pants and a fitted navy tee. He was carrying a large glossy booklet.  
  
She didn't know why she had had felt so OK with him being half naked, then fully naked and wet, and almost naked and wet. But for some reason seeing him so relaxed for the evening finally set off those long silent warning bells. It was suddenly too comfortable. Ogling went nowhere, but she could suddenly see snuggling up on the couch together. It was too intimate. That is what she did with Jimmy.  
  
"Is that the brochure? Do you mind if I just take it with me? I should really be heading home. I just wanted to drop off your presents."  
  
He looked kind of crestfallen, but nodded his head in agreement.   
  
"Yeah, no problem. You can just keep it. They gave us a bunch of copies. I don't have any specific feedback on them yet since they are new, but I'll keep my ear to the ground."  
  
She accepted the brochure he extended to her and smiled.  
  
"Thanks again, Davis. Enjoy the cookies and beer."  
  
He tucked his hands in his lounger pants pockets and trailed behind her to the door.  
  
"Yeah, I will. Thanks for stopping by. You didn't have to, but it was... Nice."  
  
Turning in the now open doorway, Chloe glanced over her shoulder.  
  
"Good night."  
  
"Night."  
  
He shut the door with a sound that seemed somehow sad.


	15. Chapter 15

Davis gently closed the door behind Chloe. He briefly leaned against the door trying to calm himself.  
  
He wondered if she had any idea just how much she affected him. Nothing could have shocked him more than her appearing on his doorstep - with gifts! Against his initial decision, he walked over to the kitchen area and popped the top off the cookies. He selected one and started munching. They were quite good. Heavy on the chips. He liked that.  
  
It was strange, the odd combination of relaxed and electrified he felt around her. It was like every cell in his body was awake and in tune with hers. He knew she felt it too. He had heard her fast breath and saw her dialated eyes. He knew she was attracted to him, though he wasn't sure how much. It took everything he had to continue to play friend and gentleman. From the bits Chloe had mentioned, he wasn't sure what to think of her fiance. The guy didn't seem like a match for her. But he had to believe that she and her fiance were meant to be. A true, deep love between them was the only reason he could accept for why he, Davis, couldn't be with her. 

He didn't get involved with women that were married, engaged, or had boyfriends. It just wasn't _right._ He had meant what he said to Chloe that first night in Isis. Real love was rare and precious. He would never have anything to do with corrupting it. And he couldn't believe that Chloe would settle for less than real love. A woman like her would have her choice of suitors. So the one she chose had to be everything she was.  
  
But God! It had been great having her here. He liked seeing her in his space. He glanced over at the couch. Her beer was still sitting on the coffee table. She had thoughtfully used one of the coasters. Such a small consideration, but it was something she would do. He snapped the cookies closed again and finishing the last bite walked over to the couch and sat down where she had been. He picked up the beer and looked at the level. There was some left. He also saw the outline of her lipstick imprint. Her lips had been there. He moved the bottle to his mouth and overlayed his lips onto the print gently. He finished the slowly warming liquid.  
  
He figured this was a close to a kiss as they were ever likely to get.


	16. Interlude 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NC-17

Davis tried watching TV, but he couldn't keep his mind on the show. He just kept seeing Chloe in his mind.  
  
He generally took a long relaxing shower after working out. But he had rushed it today because _she_ was waiting just outside the door. He decided he would finish that shower now.

He walked into the bathroom and began to strip almost as quickly as he had first donned the outfit. He reached to turn on the water. His mind began to play the scene he had secretly hoped for earlier...  
  
 _Chloe walked into the bathroom behind him just as he was bare.  
  
"Ch-Chloe? What are you doing in here?"  
  
She rushed to him and pressed herself along his naked body. Her lips met his hungrily._  
  
He groaned as he instantly went hard.  
 _  
It didn't matter how much he wanted her, he would take his time and enjoy her. He would strip her slowly and kiss each inch of skin as it was revealed. He knew she would have beautiful skin. Soft and smooth and a delicate pink. Her small hands moving to explore his body as he did hers._  
  
He felt his skin flush and tingle as if the vision in his mind of Chloe running her hands and then her nails along his flesh was real. He scraped his dull nails up his thighs, as if they were hers.  
  
 _Finally having gotten her bare, he scooped the petite blonde up into his arms and stepped into the shower with her._  
  
Facing away from the stream, he let the warm water flow over his back. He tilted his head back and let the water flow over his hair and into his face. It ran in waves over to the front of his chest and down to his groin with the aching upthrusting cock.  
  
 _Chloe stood outside the stream of water and watched him. Little rogue sprays of water had dappled her body with drops of water. He reached out to her and she eagerly stepped forward into his embrace. Her hands slick with the water, they ran up and down his back and their lips and tongues met._  
  
Davis' tongue peeped out from between his lips and his skin goosebumped even with the warm water.  
  
 _One of Chloe's hands left his back and trailed around his side. It would have been ticklish if he wasn't so lost to lust. She peeped up at his to catch his reaction as she slowly traced a single finger along his shaft from root to tip._  
  
Davis groaned loudly.  
  
 _Shifting her hand, Chloe rubbed her thumb along the tip when a shining bead began to appear from the small hole at the end. Her other fingers moved to wrap around the shaft firmly. She squeezed gently._  
  
Davis lifted one arm up and over his head, bracing it against the far wall of the shower.  
  
 _A look of such sensual delight played across Chloe's features, that he was enraptured. Then her hand began to shift up and down along the length of him._  
  
Davis groaned again and his eyes squeezed tightly shut.  
  
 _The water from the shower provided excellent lubricant and her hand began pumping him smoothly. She did this little twist of her hand up around the head before the downstroke. It caused the texture of her fingers to sweep over the sensitive tip and the little divot where head met shaft. It was exquisite._  
  
 _She watched him intently from slightly lowered lashes. her breath coming in little pants as her excitement was built by his. Her tongue ran along her lips. The erratic sprays of the water had formed her hair into a sparkling blonde halo. She looked like a lusty angel._  
  
His legs began to tremble and soon he was shouting her name as waves of creamy cum shot forth from him. The sound of his shout echoed around the small steamy confines of the bathroom.  
  
Davis sagged against the side of the shower. He held his right hand out into the stream of water and let it wash away the evidence of his pleasure. He was breathing like he had just sprinted 10 miles and his heart was nearly pounding out of his chest. He didn't think he had ever had such a powerful fantasy before. But then he had never been so drawn to a woman before.  
  
Groaning in frustration that he was, in fact, alone, he spun to face the water. A quick flash of Chloe in front of him with the water now pouring over _her_ , came to mind. His cock stirred to life again.  
  
He decided he wasn't quite done with exploring where the night could have gone if he had gotten his wish.  
  
He closed his eyes as Chloe appeared for him again.


	17. Interlude 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NC-17

Chloe waited impatiently in her bedroom in the apartment above the Talon. She had told Lois to be scarce for the night, so she could have some "alone time" with Jimmy. Her cousin had looked at her intent face with surprise while Chloe issued the decree. Slowly, Lois' face transformed when a slightly evil gleam entered her eyes and a one-sided smirk crept across her mouth.  
  
"Whatever you say, cuz. You two have fun. I'll work late at The Planet."  
  
That was 4 hours ago.  
  
She had talked to Jimmy 3 hours ago when he had told her he would be home "soon."  
  
She spent an hour doing her hair and makeup before pulling on her new outfit. It was a fully lace bright red babydoll with a tiny scrap of fabric that passed for panties. The lace had a strange sort of covered/not covered look to it that drove the eye mad trying to look through it.   
  
She had gone to a store that had a selection of vibrators and gimp masks in the window at lunch today to buy it. She had lots of cute little pajama sets and feminine nightgowns, but nothing like what she needed. She needed something that screamed SEX. She needed sex. Now. NOW. NOW. She chose not to think too deeply about the sudden urgency.  
  
But she had to wait for evening when Jimmy got home.  
  
She had artfully arranged herself on the bed and flared out the sides of the babydoll around her. She fluffed her hair just _so_. She had even spent a good 10 minutes arranging her feet so her pretty little painted toes with the matching red polish peeped fetchingly from the sheets.  
  
Three hours later, she wore an old terry cloth robe and fuzzy slippers over the "outfit" as she angrily paced back and forth across the apartment. She had called him twice and no reply. Just voicemail. She tried to keep her anger hot, so worry wouldn't creep in.  
  
Finally the doorknob rattled and she flew to the door. She yanking it open to the surprised face of Jimmy as he held up his keys.   
  
"Where have you been??" she screamed at him. All the worry she had tried to bury instantly fused into the anger she had kept hot.  
  
"O-Out for pizza with Jeremy. I would have called, but m-my phone battery died."  
  
"That was 4 HOURS AGO!"  
  
"S-Sorry. I didn't know there was a rush."  
  
Her anger instantly melted away. She hadn't told him a specific time...or that she had anything special planned. She had just dropped him a coy, "You should come over tonight. It will be fun."  
  
She guessed she had been too vague. Thinking about the words, she could have just been talking about a movie and Parcheesi.  
  
She relaxed and smiled lopsidedly at him. His blue eyes were still wide with shock, anxiety, and maybe a little fear.  
  
 _Nice, Chloe. He must be thinking that he is marrying a screaming banshee now._  
  
That instantly brought the mental image of a rotund woman brandishing a rolling pin, with her hair in curlers, and wearing a flower print robe to her mind.  
  
She glanced down quickly at her own old terry cloth robe and slippers.  
  
Quickly she moved back from the still-open door where Jimmy remained staring in the doorway. She half-lowered her lids and moved backwards towards the bedroom purring, "Well I do have something in mind, so why don't you close the door and come on in."  
  
He stayed where he was and continued to stare at her. His arm was still raised holding the keys.   
  
She guessed her lightning flashes of mood had him off-settled.  
  
 _Ok then. Time to pull out the big guns._  
  
She unbelted the robe to reveal the sort of see-through babydoll underneath.  
  
She wouldn't have thought it possible but his eyes got even wider. He dropped the keys. They clattered to the ground just inside the doorway. Recovering himself, he crossed the threshold into the apartment and shut the door without taking his eyes from her. He ignored the keys on the floor.  
  
She felt strangely powerful. She tilted her head black slightly and ran her hands up from her neck through her hair, giving it a little flip. For the first time in her life, Chloe found herself making "come hither" eyes at man.  
  
Jimmy slowly started moving towards her, looked flushed, disoriented, and slightly wary.  
  
 _Good. Finally, things are starting to move in the right direction._  
  
A quick thought drifted through her mind if Davis would have been so out of sorts in the same situation. She squashed the thought before even allowing it to form fully.  
  
She threw the ratty old robe aside and continued to walk backwards to the bed. Jimmy sprinted after her.   
  
She felt the bed behind her and climbed up. Jimmy, smiling broadly, jumped up beside her. Without preamble he reached out with both hands and began to knead the flesh of her breasts.  
  
 _No kiss first?_  
  
 _No wait. That was correct. She wanted SEX, not making love._  
  
She arched her back so her breasts pushed up into his hands. Jimmy smiled hugely with a delighted sparkle in his eyes.  
 _  
Oh yeah, he was on board._  
  
He squeezed and rubbed at her breasts with his hands.  
  
 _Smallish hands. They couldn't quite grip her full breast. Davis had larger hands with long delicate fingers. They would have been able to grasp the whole mound._  
  
Again she quickly suppressed the thought.  
  
Jimmy moved his face to move between the fleshy mounds.   
  
_He does like playing with them even if they don't do much for me._  
  
She felt herself losing interest and decided to move things along.  
  
She pushed his hands away and moved to pull off his clothes. He happily caught her intention and quickly kicked off his shoes. In his eagerness, he got stuck in the neck of his t-shirt momentarily but quickly freed himself. Socks, belt, and pants soon followed. Finally down his boxers, he stripped them as well. She noticed distractedly that he was wearing boxers with Christmas M&M's on them.   
  
_Christmas? He must need to do laundry._   
  
Very soon he was naked and laid back down beside her on the bed. He moved to kiss her.  
  
She met his lips with her own. He had meant it to be a gentle kiss, but she met with force.  
  
She had surprised him again, but he quickly caught on and they tangled tongues.  
  
He actually kinda tasted nasty. A combination of pizza and Stride gum.  
  
She broke it off, now unsure if this was going to work. She flopped onto her back and looked at the ceiling feeling somewhat dejected. Maybe they weren't built for SEX. Maybe they should just stick to lovemaking.  
  
Misunderstanding her action, Jimmy thought she was asking for something else. Since she had obviously made such an effort for _him,_ then he should make the effort for _her._  
  
He began kissing down her body over the red babydoll.  
  
Chloe looked up in surprise as he crawled backwards down the bed, kissing his way south.  
  
 _Was he going to...?_  
  
He reached the bottom edge of the babydoll and pushed it up to reveal the red lacy scrap of panty. He met her surprised eyes and lightly kissed the edge of the panty.  
  
 _Ok, now this was new and HOT._  
  
He pulled the panties aside and started raining kisses on her folds.  
  
Her head dropped back. Now this was really nice.  
  
He switched to licking and that was really nice too.  
  
He kissed and licked her all over, but it didn't feel quite...complete.  
  
It took her a second to realize that he wasn't going anywhere near her clitoris. She realized now that he never did. He had rubbed at her before and now licked at her, but never there. She opened her eyes as her mind started running. Maybe he didn't know how to find it.  
  
She closed her eyes again in shame and disappointment. She knew that if she stopped to correct him, his pride would be wounded. He thought their sex was fantastic, but it never really rocked her world. Not that she never orgasmed. She did...sometimes. But they were pleasant sort of weak things compared to the ones she gave herself.  
  
Again her mind flashed to Davis. The man had medical training. Does that mean he would know where a clitoris was? He should know something about anatomy, right?  
  
Thinking of anatomy made her mind flash to his body as she had seen it last night...of him with the towel draped around his hips, his chest bare and his hair wet.  
  
Just like then, her mouth went dry.  
  
But this time she moaned.  
  
Jimmy heard her and thought it was because of him. He sped up his licking in a place that wasn't quite right, but still nice.  
  
This time she didn't force the image of Davis from her mind. This time she embraced it.  
  
She pictured his pale, lean, muscular body. She dwelt on the play of muscles as he walked from the bathroom and into his bedroom, rubbing his hair with another towel.  
  
He had looked over at her as he crossed the hallway between rooms and their eyes had met.  
  
Just as it had then, her breath hitched.   
  
She had seen his eyes darken even from across the room. They had gone sort of...molten. He had sensed that she had been watching him. He also knew she was turned on by what she had seen.  
  
Last night she had fled from that intense gaze.  
  
But now she opened her eyes and looked down at Jimmy working away on her most intimate parts. He opened his own eyes from his work and met her gaze.  
  
Jimmy's eyes were blue. A bright, wide, innocent blue.  
  
 _So why was she seeing melting brown in her mind? And short black hair when Jimmy had curly blondish?_  
  
The image she saw in her mind overtook the image that she saw with her eyes. This was not Jimmy....but Davis. It was Davis licking away at her most intimate place.  
  
Just then Jimmy/Davis finally found her clit.  
  
A wave of overwhelming pleasure rocked through her and her hips bucked up, dislodging a surprised Jimmy.  
  
"Wow!" he cried.  
  
She didn't want to lose the feeling. She needed to chase that pleasure. She pulled Jimmy up along the bed and pushed him down flat.  
  
She climbed atop him and straddled his hips.  
  
He looked at her in wide-eyed amazement. He was usually on top. But then she wasn't usually so...agressive.  
  
Not wanting to dwell on the reason for her new take-charge libido, she moved the panties aside. She positioned him and slid down onto his shaft.  
  
They both moaned.  
  
Chloe closed her eyes again and let the fantasy take her over again.  
  
The hips she rode were the ones that had been teasingly peeping out of the top of the towel. The arms she reached forwards to grip were the ones she had seen through the window, flexing as they lifted the barbell up from his chest. That chest....smooth and defined with a sleek musculature unlike either Jimmy or Clark. Her hands moved and she frowned slightly as the chest she felt didn't match the picture in her mind.  
  
She opened her eyes again to meet Jimmy's as he bucked away under her. His mouth was open and his breathing ragged. She could tell he was close.  
  
Her eyes slid shut again. If he was close, then she needed to catch up if she was going to get the relief she had needed so badly all day.  
  
Her hand reached down to where their bodies were joined and she began stroking her clit. Her achingly sensitive clit that hadn't gotten nearly as much attention as it deserved. Her fingers moved quickly, flicking and stroking like she did when she was alone. Again, her mind supplied the image of pale long-fingered hands doing it for her instead.  
  
Within seconds of the fantasy supplying his hands, waves of pleasure poured over her and she came with a wordless scream. As it rippled forth, she kept her hand moving to wring out the last drop of pleasure from her poor aching, _needing_ body. The convulsions of her body pulled a similar effect from Jimmy and she felt his warm cum pumping into her as he let loose his own cry.  
  
She collapsed forward onto his sweaty chest. She lay still for a moment until her mind finally cleared and she came back to reality. He breath became smooth once again. Jimmy lay beneath her, trying to recover his own breath.  
  
 _It really wasn't a bad chest,_ she thought as she started to draw small circles with her fingers around his nipples. It wasn't as smooth and definitely didn't have the definition of...other chests....but it was very nice.  
  
"Wow," Jimmy breathed. "Just wow."  
  
She smiled into his chest.  
  
"I'll be home sooner next time."  
  
She laughed and looked up into his loving blue (yes blue, not brown) eyes. She kissed him softly, then snuggled back into his chest and quickly fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Chloe knew she should feel jealous about Jimmy kissing another woman, but she didn't. Maxima had something like super mojo, but as his bride-to-be she knew she should be less OK with it. It was strange,but whenever her mind started to worry at it, a peace would come over her. It made her completely lose her train of thought. It was odd. But since she had no desire to be anxious and jealous, she just let it go. Besides, she had to wrap up planning for the engagement party.

She sat down out the coffee table and pulled out a stack of invites to the engagement party. She needed to address and send out several dozen. The first invite she addressed was to Clark Kent. It was funny that once upon a time she had written a letter to Clark pouring out her heart. Now she was sending him an invite to her engagement party. That broken-hearted 15-year-old would never have guessed how much their relationship would change. She smiled ruefully. That 15-year-old also would never have guessed how much that letter would cause such a stink between her and her fiance either. But she was glad for how things played out. Because now she felt that the air was clear between Clark and Jimmy. Jimmy could finally let go of the nagging jealousy that had been eating at him since the beginning of their relationship. From here out it would be her and Jimmy together facing the world.  
  
Chloe paused her pen on the envelope she had been addressing. She hadn't been consciously thinking about what she was doing. But looking down at the envelope's creamy surface she saw the name she had written without thought.  
  
 _Davis Bloome_  
  
She had even started writing his address. It wasn't the next address on the list. She hadn't realized that she had filed away his address in her mind. She frowned slightly at the envelope. Davis. She wasn't sure what to think _or feel_ about him. In some ways he sent her mind spinning. In others, she never felt so clear-headed as she was around him. Details seemed clearer, more in-focus around him. She didn't feel the slips of memory loss around him.  
  
She shook her head. Davis was her _friend_. It was completely right to ask a friend to attend her engagement party.  
  
She finished writing out his address and moved onto Lois' invite.

* * *

 

Davis opened the mailbox in his apartment lobby. As expected it was mostly junk. But a large creamy envelope caught his attention. The heavy stationery had been addressed to him in a feminine hand. He looked at the sender's information and saw the names Chloe Sullivan and James Olsen.

_James Olsen._

That must be her fiance.

Davis felt is heart drop into the ground below his feet. He turned the envelope over and carefully opened it. Inside was a cheerful announcement card for her engagement party at a place in Smallville. He passed the envelope to his left hand with the other mail. The envelope had _his_ name written in her hand. That was something to treasure. But a celebration for the day he would lose her? That he couldn't abide. He crushed the invitation in his hand and tossed it into the lobby trash.

Davis resolved he would swap or take on as many shifts as he had to just to make sure he would be working that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Memory and forgiveness:
> 
> I think Chloe was way too ok with Jimmy and Maxima, and her memory loss wasn't a sudden thing. So I just figured those two things must go together.


	19. Chapter 19

Davis got back into the cab of his ambulance. He was completely exhausted, but he still had four hours to go.  
  
Tonight was Chloe's engagement party. And true to his inner promise, he was working. In fact, he was working a triple. If he wasn't so exhausted he might of regretted it, but his mind was numb. Just like he wanted it.  
  
Hi mind roused just enough to wonder briefly how Chloe's night was going. Was it everything she dreamed? Did the guy next to her know how lucky he was?

* * *

  
  
Chloe awoke abruptly to Jimmy's voice. She was cold, wet, and in the dark. She was tied up to Jimmy and she heard rats squeaking in the darkness. _What is going on?_ Last she remembered, she and Jimmy were walking back to their cars after the party. They were blinded by headlights...a sharp pain....and now she was here.  
  
An eerie voice spoke from the darkness.  
  
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to find out if these two were truly meant to be. "  
  
Yellowish lights came on to illuminate a scene out of a horror movie. A man and a woman in electric chairs - dead.  


* * *

  
  
The wacko wrestled both her and Jimmy into the chairs after removing the corpses of the previous occupants.  
  
As the nutjob in the plastic mask explained his setup and the "rules" of his twisted game, Chloe's eyes searched for a way out. Her mind was racing through scenarios for escape, but most were impossible. She just didn't have the physical strength to pull them off. She began to wish she had the sort of power that Clark did. He would be out of this in seconds.  
  
Clark! Would he be able to save them?  
  
No, he didn't even know they were missing.  
  
Going on with his twisted reasoning, the crazy man grasped her chained hand, "Those that are truly dedicated have no secrets."  
  
Chloe jerked her hand away, but not before a frisson of fear ran up her spine. She knew her fear showed in her eyes. She had secrets. She had lots of secrets. And many of them - most- Jimmy didn't and couldn't know. They weren't her secrets to share. Well, some were. But she couldn't share those either. Her uselessly racing mind was one. The disappointment she had felt at a missing invitee to the party was another.  
  
Moving to one of the machines the masked man looked at Jimmy and said, "Let's warm up with an easy question. James..." The man clicked the button on the remote he was holding. She heard an electrical charge. "Have you ever cheated on your fiancée before?"  
  
Her eyes met Jimmy's. Jimmy looked to the man. "No."  
  
 _Pain!_  
  
Electricity coursed through her body. She screamed.  
  
Deep in the dark places of her mind, Chloe felt something stir. A dark power spread through her. It rushed through every cell in her body, using the surge of the electricity.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, the electricity, the pain, and _the Power_ stopped.  
  
Chloe sat panting as the man and Jimmy yelled at each other.  
  
Standing up but still chained, Jimmy shouted, "Stop! Don't hurt her! I'm the one that lied! You hurt me!"  
  
"Lies don't hurt you! Lies hurt the ones you love!" The man pushed Jimmy back into the chair, "You be honest."  
  
Chloe kept panting, trying to assess her new physical state. She felt strange. She had a new awareness of her body. She could actually feel her heart beating and her lungs filling and emptying. She felt the pulsing of blood in her arteries. She knew that it was possible to train your mind to control the functions of the body. It was called Biofeedback. But _she_ had never done it before. Could she now? Had the electricity jump started her Brainiac power into a new pathway? Could she use her mind to control her body? And if yes - _How could she use this to escape?_  
  
All of this flashed through her mind as Jimmy started speaking to her.  
  
"Chloe... Look, it wasn't really cheating. I mean, this -- this crazy woman -- she kissed me, and I had a freakin' heart attack, and I wound up in the hospital."  
  
She should pay attention now. "I know. I know it wasn't your fault."  
  
She silently begged Jimmy not do anything stupid while she tried to figure out if this new trick could help her get them out of here.  
  
"You are the only girl... that I've ever loved," he finished sincerely.  
  
She held his eyes and silently begged him to hold it together.  
  
The masked man was turning a crank to recharge the electricity and broke into their now-silent exchange. "That will do for now. Let's see what the bride has to say. I wonder. How many lies is she hiding behind?"  
  
Chloe's mind raced through all her secrets. Including the newest one. That was it! He was using a heart monitor to determine their truths. She would control her heartrate to give him the answers he needed. Then when an opening presented itself, she would find a way to get free.  
  
The masked man looked up. She wasn't sure what alerted him, but he moved away from his equipment. He pulled 2 blindfolds and gags from a pocket. He quickly bound Jimmy's mouth and eyes. He moved towards her and did the same.  
  
"I will return shortly you two. Think on your truths and lies until I return. So far it hasn't gone as well as I would have hoped."  
  
She heard him climb some stairs and a door shut above.  
  
Chloe took advantage of this precious time to work on controlling her heartrate and breathing. She needed to be able to control the monitors if they had any hope of getting that much-needed chance. She had to buy them time. Time for them to escape or for Clark to come.  


* * *

  
  
In what felt both like forever and no time at all, Chloe heard a door open and close. Again there were footsteps coming down the stairs. The masked man had returned. He removed their gags and blindfolds and began resetting his equipment.  
  
Jimmy began talking to the wacko again. She silently thanked whatever had distracted the man for buying her more time. She thought she had the hang of it now. She told her heart to beat faster and it did. She told it to slow and it did, though not as quickly. She used the precious few seconds to keep training her heart to slow.  
  
The man was speaking with Jimmy again. When the man admitted, "I could smell him on her..." Chloe knew what had happened.  
  
"So you killed her."  
  
He confirmed her fears. "You see, the heart and the mouth are not always on the same page."  
  
The killer began adjusting the straps and wires around her.  
  
Jimmy bravely tried to help her. "Get the hell away from her," he cried.  
  
But the man wasn't paying him any attention. "Chloe..." he started as she heard the electricity charge. "Have you ever cheated on your fiancé?"  
  
That one was easy. She didn't even have to tweak her heartrate. She wasn't a cheater. While she may have had fantasies, she had never, and would never, cheat.  
  
"No," she ground out. She was insulted that this twisted killer would dare ask her that. Chloe Sullivan did not _cheat_.  
  
As the seconds ticked by and the man stared at the heart readings, she wondered if she should have pushed her heartrate lower. Would he think that fantasies _were_ cheating?? Worry began to steal over her. After an eternity, the masked man answered her unspoken question.  
  
"Excellent. Next question." He turned to face her. "Are you in love with anyone else?"  
  
Before she could answer, Jimmy jumped in. "Look, don't answer him, Chloe. Don't give him the satisfaction."  
  
The man turned to face Jimmy and pushed the remote, shooting electricity through Jimmy. Jimmy cried out in pain. His screams tore at Chloe's heart and she heard "Nooooooo!" ripped from her throat without thought.  
  
Finally the shocks stopped and Jimmy collapsed into the chair, fighting back tears of pain. The man moved back to the battery and began cranking it again.  
  
"Your fiancé is not the best person to be taking advice from at this moment," he told her as he worked. He moved back to face her and restarted the elecricity charging from the remote. "Now I'm gonna ask you one more time. Are you in love with anyone else?"  
  
She looked across at Jimmy's heartbroken and defeated expression. She knew what he thought. He thought that despite everything, despite what she told him after the letter, that she was still in love with Clark. She wasn't in love with Clark. She hadn't been for a very long time. Why couldn't he see that? She had though he finally understood. _Why couldn't he understand?_  
  
It wasn't Clark she loved.  
  
Her traitorous thoughts went to a brown-eyed man that had been haunting her dreams.  
  
She used her new control to tame her heartbeat and clear her mind. She met Jimmy's blue eyes -not brown- and told him in a voice that begged him to finally believe her. Did she love anyone else?  
  
"No."  
  
The lines didn't move at all. She had done it. She had power over her own heartbeat. She just wished she had such power over her heart.  
  
Following up on her advantage, she decided to end Jimmy's jealousy once and for all. "Only you, Jimmy, forever."  
  
He gave a tearful laugh and smiled into her eyes.  
  
Before she had a chance to do anything else, the man picked up a gun and announced, "Congratulations, James Olsen, Chloe Sullivan. I now pronounce you husband and wife."  
  
He shot them.  


* * *

  
  
Chloe woke up back in the Talon apartment. Jimmy was next to her. She shook his shoulder and he also woke.  
  
They were alive.  
  
Looking around she spotted a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs. Picking them up, she said, "Is this that masked man's idea of some kind of a twisted joke?"  
  
Sheepishly, Jimmy said, "Um, I'm gonna have to take the credit for this one. And for the record, it was a lot less creepy yesterday."  
  
She looked at him in surprise. Maybe her erotic efforts hadn't been totally wasted. She smiled at him.  
  
"You know, I don't think I'd still be alive if I was sitting across anyone else in that room."  
  
"Because we're meant to be together?" he asked. Then he continued answering his own question, "Cause...things like that don't happen to people by accident."  
  
"No. Because you don't have any secrets." She was glad to say that about one of them. It seemed she had another one now.  
  
Jimmy looked at her oddly then kissed her softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brainiac to the rescue!
> 
> I really thought about this part hard and knowing how powerful Brainiac became in Chloe, taking over her mind and body, it just made sense that he would do so incrementally and would work to protect his host.


	20. Chapter 20

Jimmy had lied to her. This whole time. They were getting married and he had been lying to her. His family history was a lie. Even his _name_ was a lie. Nothing about him seemed true anymore.  
  
But she was lying too.  
  
Jimmy had given her the chance to get out, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't throw away all they had. A _normal_ guy that would love her and be with her always. She refused to think that sounded a lot like settling.  
  
He had said, "A guy like me... doesn't get a girl like you, Chloe. Life -- it doesn't work like that."  
  
She had kissed him and told him, "Yeah, it does."  
  
But she couldn't silence her doubts or her racing mind.  
  
She needed to talk to someone about this. She wished Lana was still around. Lana must have had the same doubts before her wedding - which had proven disastrous. What if she was also making a mistake? Though Jimmy was certainly no Lex Luthor. She had just gotten Lois to accept Jimmy, so she couldn't talk to her. And Clark wouldn't understand. He thought there could only ever be one love, so Jimmy must be hers. He wouldn't have room for doubt.   
  
Strangely, the person that her mind suggested she talk to was Davis. Maybe because he knew some of what she was hiding and he hadn't run away. Maybe because he was also part of those secrets. Maybe just because everything felt so clear around him. Or maybe she just wanted to see her friend. _Friend._  
  
Chloe picked up the phone and hit the speed dial key for Davis.  
  
He finally picked up on the fourth ring just before it went to voicemail. His voice was thick and muffled.  
  
"H-Hello?"  
  
"Davis, it's Chloe."  
  
"Chloe?" His voice sounded slightly clearer and she heard a rustling noise. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine. Were you sleeping? I thought you were on shift today?"  
  
"Yes, I was sleeping, I just worked a triple. How did you know I was originally supposed to work today?"  
  
"Oh, uh, I thought since you worked swing yesterday during the party you would do the same today." She was pretty proud of her lie. It was made up on the spot, but completely plausible. And it didn't reveal she had memorized his schedule. Though his having to work during the party had been a surprise. She just thought it was bad luck in a last minute shift-cover. _But he had done a triple? How had that come about??_  
  
"Ah, no, just got off a bit ago. But it's ok. Tell me what's up."  
  
He sounded clearer now. And she stopped hearing the sound of sheets and blankets rustling in the background. She wondered what he slept in. Boxers and a shirt? The lounge pants she had seen? Nothing??  
  
She smothered a giggle as she pictured him saying "Chanel Number Five."  
  
"Um, something happened after the party. And I'm ok now and everything, but I could use someone to talk to." She realized he might think it was urgent, so she quickly rushed on, "It doesn't have to be now or anything, but maybe tomorrow?"  
  
The phone was silent. She twisted a strand of hair nervously. Finally she couldn't wait any more.  
  
"Davis? You there?"  
  
"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. I was thinking." He paused again. "Ok, yeah, I can do tomorrow night. Where? The cafe again?"  
  
She thought for a second and quickly discarded the idea. This was a conversation that would probably require alcohol.  
  
"No, how about that little microbrew pub on Front street?"  
  
"Yeah, I know it. Eight PM?"  
  
"Sounds good. I'll see you then." She laughed. "Should I say 'Good Night' this early?"  
  
She heard the smile in his voice as he replied, "Try 'Sweet Dreams.'"  
  
She knew a smile was in her voice too. "Sweet Dreams." _Dream of me?_ her traitorous mind added.  
  
"Thanks." He hung up. She hit the end button and found herself smiling at the phone. She was already feeling better. Talking to Davis gave her such clarity. She could hardly wait for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damaged:
> 
> I think at this point,if Chloe had her mind intact she would have seriously been reconsidering marrying Jimmy. That she wasn't I think showed her damaged mental state. I wanted to acknowledge that here.


	21. Chapter 21

Chloe walked into the mostly empty pub promptly at 8pm the next night. Davis was already at the bar drinking from a pint glass of some dark beer. He turned as she entered and smiled. He was wearing yet another dark t-shirt and jeans. Though his wardrobe seemed to lack variety, so couldn't argue with the way the material clung to him. Banishing that thought, she briskly moved towards him and pulled up the barstool next to him.

A group of college girls were in the far corner near the small stage. A sign over the stage proudly declared "Wednesdays are karaoke night! 8pm - 2am" From the noise of the girls as they sorted through binders she guessed listed songs, they were here to sing. She smiled fondly. She would have to tell Lois about this. Louis would love to belt out her White Snake.  
  
She finished settling her coat and purse onto the stool back and settled into the seat. She turned and smiled at Davis as he looked at her with that lopsided smile of his.  
  
"Were you early?" she asked.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I hate being late. It just strikes me as rude."  
  
Chloe couldn't help thinking of all the times Clark was late or stood her up. It was usually for a good reason, but still...  
  
"What did you get?" she asked instead.  
  
"This really nice brown ale. Care to try?" He pushed the glass towards her.  
  
She didn't normally like darker beers, but was curious about his tastes. She took a sip. It was surprisingly mellow and not at all heavy. She met his eyes for permission and took a second sip. Pushing the glass back to him, she waved the bartender over.  
  
"Can I get what he has, please?"  
  
"Coming up," the bartender replied and moved over to the taps.  
  
Looking back she saw Davis was studying her. The half-smile was gone, and she couldn't quite read his expression.  
  
"What?" she asked to break the silence.  
  
"You sounded upset yesterday, Chloe. What's wrong? Spill." He took a sip of beer.  
  
She thought back. _Yes, there was something she had wanted to discuss...what was it?_ She was drawing a blank. That kept happening and it was getting frustrating. _Something about Jimmy??_ With an audible sigh, she gave up.  
  
"I don't remember, so I guess it wasn't that important."  
  
Placing down his glass, Davis looked at her intently. "You sure? You sounded pretty rattled." He cocked his half smile again. "Though I was kind of delirious from lack of sleep."  
  
She slowly smiled back. Then turned as the bartender placed her beer in front of her on one of those little napkins.  
  
"Put it on my tab," Davis told the bartender.  
  
"No, no. I can pay," Chloe said as she turned to open her purse.  
  
"You got last time." He smiled more broadly.  
  
The smile defeated her. "Fine. Thank you." She sipped the beer and placed it down again.  
  
Glancing out of the side of his eye at her, Davis suddenly chuckled.  
  
"What?" she asked. The chuckle had a slightly evil note.  
  
"You have foam on your lip." He reached his thumb over and wiped it off. But he didn't pull his hand away. He began tracing her upper lip with that thumb. His smile faded and his eyes turned dark as he watched his thumb move over her lip. Unconsciously her lips parted. Then his thumb moved to the full lower lip. The eyes that flicked up to meet hers were full of heat and intensity.  
  
Chloe was frozen. The dark fires in his molten eyes consumed her. Nothing but his thumb touched her and she felt her heart beating erratically. _Her heart._ The memory of her new power snapped the spell for her. She pulled back slightly.  
  
"I think you got it," she said shakily.  
  
Davis shook himself slightly as he too tried to return to the ease of the moment before he touched her. He closed his eyes for a breath. Without looking towards her, he picked up his beer and drained about half.  
  
"Yeah, sorry." He cleared his throat and continued, "So anyway, since your initial reason for meeting no longer applies, what do you have in mind?" he asked in more normal voice. When he glanced a her his eyes were back to a mild brown.  
  
Looking around the bar frantically her eyes lit on the group of girls. She needed a distraction ASAP so she blurted the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Shots!"  
  
Davis looked dumbfounded but she waved the bartender over. She knew this wasn't what Davis had expected. That actually made it kind of fun. Maybe she could run with this.  
  
Turning to the bartender she smilingly held up 2 fingers. "Tequilas, please." With her other hand she pointed with a thumb at Davis. "His tab."  
  
As the bartender moved away she winked at the still dumbfounded Davis. She smiled slyly and leaning her chin onto her hand said, "I think we are going to make you regret your generosity."  
  
He smiled a huge beautiful grin at her. It made his eyes dance mischievously as he got into the idea. It seemed like far too long since she had just had some honest-to-goodness FUN.  
  
Their shots arrived with lemon wedges adorning the top and a shaker of salt. Lois had taught her years ago the mechanics of tequila shots. She efficiently licked her hand, and salted it. Her eyes met Davis'. He seemed kind of impressed. He quickly did the same. _So he is no stranger to shots either_ she thought playfully.Taking the lemon wedge in one hand and the shot in the other, Chloe raised it until Davis clicked his against it. They drained the shots in a single gulp and bit into the wedges.  
  
The sheer silliness of doing shots with a sexy new friend after the trauma of the kidnapping and the stress of planning the engagement party had Chloe feeling slightly wild. The girls started singing Britney Spears on the stage. She slammed the glass down and meeting Davis' smiling eyes, she cried "Another round!"

* * *

 

Slamming the shot glass down on the bar next to the others in the line, Chloe turned to Davis again. She was feeling slightly bleary, but his twinkling, delighted eyes and broad smile were in sharp focus. Placing one arm on the bar, she leaned her head into her hand. She smiled wickedly.

"Truth or Dare?" she challenged.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Really?" he asked.

"Truth or Dare!" she said louder and more insistently.

Sighing heavily, he swiveled his barstool to face her.

"Truth."

"What made you decide to become a paramedic?" She figured to start easy.

"There is so much pain and ugliness in the world and I wanted to do something to help. I thought about becoming a doctor, but I like the immediacy of being a paramedic. I'm right there when they need someone most. I get them through the hump until the doctors can take over."

Chloe smiled. She thought it would be something like that.

"Truth or dare?" he challenged her in turn as he took a sip from his neglected beer.

Chloe thought about telling him about mixing beer and shots, but if he didn't know by now, she figured he needed to learn the hard way. So feeling slightly evil she said, "Truth."

"Where did you learn to do shots like such a pro?" he smiled at his teasing question.

Chloe laughed. "That would be from my big cousin, Lois. She is a military brat and seems to have gotten drunk on just about every vile beverage known the world over. She said she couldn't leave me to disgrace the family name."

Davis laughed. "Ah yes. I remember meeting her with the Oliver thing. She seems like a piece of work."

She smiled fondly as she thought of Lois. "She is." Shifting slightly, Chloe continued with, "My turn."

"Shoot."

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

She had hoped he would say that. "Do you always work out in front of the windows with the curtains open?"

He looked surprised. "Well yeah. I like to look out on the city and the fresh air is nice and...wait. How do you know that?"

She decided to hedge slightly. She didn't think _Because I was eye stalking you from outside_ was a good reply.

"I saw you wrapping up that night I came over." She smiled lopsidedly. "Are you just showing off when you do that?"

He took another pull of beer and eyed her sideways. "Technically that is now two questions."

"Humor me."

"No, I'm not showing off. If that was my goal, I would actually go to a gym. Impress the rats. I just like the focus I get working out at home."

She smiled broadly and wickedly. "And you can sing along."

"How would you know...no, wait." He shook his head, "Nevermind. Doesn't matter. But yeah I like to sing." He hid behind another sip of beer and Chloe smiled at his discomfort, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Clark was so strange and serious these days. Jimmy was so sensitive - he took teasing for criticism. And Lois was gone so often working late. She missed teasing a friend.

Recovering himself, Davis turned to her with a decidedly evil expression. "Truth or Dare?" he challenged.

_Oh no, I know you want to ask about how I knew about your sexy workout time. No way am I falling for that._

"Dare," she challenged right back.

He grinned triumphantly. She narrowed her eyes again. _Why do I feel like I was just trapped?_

"Speaking of singing..." He spun his chair around and called over to the girls who were taking a break from karaoke. "Excuse me ladies, do you mind if my friend here sings a number?"

In reply the girls lept up from their seats and cried out their approval in the manner of college girls everywhere - "Wooooo!!!"

Davis spun back around to face Chloe with a Cheshire cat smile. Then he had the nerve to wink.

"My lady, your audience awaits." Then he gave a little seated bow. _A bow!_

Chloe glared at him. "I'll get you for this."

"I'd love to see you try," he smiled back.

Throwing her head back, Chloe marched over to the cluster of girls. They greeted her enthusiastically with a cluster of names and handed her one of the binders of songs. Their good humor quickly melted her annoyance and she met their smiles in turn. She picked the first song that she recognized and liked. It was an old favorite. She told the karaoke operator her selection and moved up to the small stage. Moving across the small stage she stood in front of the microphone stand. She couldn't see well with the spotlight shining on her, but for good measure she sent a glare in the general direction of Davis. Then she turned to face the screen where the words would appear.

As the first bars of music poured forth from the speaker the girls let out a wild whoop.

_You keep saying, you got something for me  
Something you call love but confess_

She felt her hips begin to shift back and forth.

_You've been messin' where you shouldn't have been messin'_

Now her upper body was getting into it, so she gripped the microphone on the stand.

_And now someone else is getting all your best_

She gave up dignity as the refrain hit and took the microphone from the stand. She began to walk across the stage. She knew all the words anyway and didn't need the screen to prompt.

_These boots are made for walking_  
And that's just what they'll do  
One of these days these boots  
Are gonna walk all over you

It had been a very long time, but she and Lois used to sing the song during sleepovers. They would put on their mother's shoes and dance along. Without thinking she moved into the song choreography. When she spun around and did a bootie twitch while she looked over her shoulder the college girls went wild. She hear a shrill whistle from the back. _Was that Davis??_

_Yeah, you keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'_  
And you keep losing when you oughta not bet  
You keep samin' when you oughta be a changin'  
Now, what's right is right but you ain't been right yet

She did a little shimmy and moved into the refrain again. The girls joined in singing with her. Chloe felt like a rock star with her own back up singers.

_These boots are made for walking_  
And that's just what they'll do  
One of these days these boots  
Are gonna walk all over you

As she marched back across the stage she popped two buttons on her blouse to reveal some more cleavage.

_You keep playin' where you shouldn't be playin'_  
And you keep thinkin' that you'll never get burnt  
Ha!

Chloe snapped her head forward so her hair went wild and a piece covered one eye. Putting her arms tight against her sides she squeezed to press her breasts up and together.

_I've just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah  
And what he knows you ain't had time to learn_

She did a full spin and was very thankful the microphone was cordless.

_These boots are made for walking_  
And that's just what they'll do  
One of these days these boots  
Are gonna walk all over you

She moved into a fun quick two-step as the final beat picked up.

_Are you ready, boots?  
Start walking_

The girls were all dancing and going crazy at their table and she heard loud masculine laughter from Davis' direction. She sent an exaggerated wink that way and took a bow as the song closed.

As she passed by the girls they cheered wildly and she made polite and cheerful comments in reply. As she left the glare of the lights she saw Davis smiling hugely, clapping wildly, and whistling catcalls. She knew she was grinning like and idiot, but didn't care. _God! That was just so much FUN!  
_

As she got back to their seats, Chloe grabbed Davis' half-full beer and drained it. Her own was long gone. She pushed aside the thought that maybe she should take her own advice about mixing beer and shots.

They were both laughing together.

Davis waved his empty beer glass at the bartender to indicate a refill. Turning back to her, he smiled. "So I guess you showed me. You may have missed your calling, Chloe."

She laughed because she knew that she couldn't carry a tune. The fun was in the performance. But it seemed that Davis understood that.

The bartender actually brought over a beer for each of them. Taking hers up she looked over the rim at Davis. "I think you owe me a song."

"Does that mean you expect me to choose Dare next?"

"Yup."

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint a lady," he said in an exaggerated drawl.

Some of the girls had just wrapped up a song and were moving off the stage back to their friends. Davis took a long pull of beer and moved over to the group.

She couldn't hear what he said to the girls, but she could tell they were drawn in by his easy manner. _And good looks._ She quickly shut that thought down. Though she didn't draw her eyes away from his finely shaped backside as he leaned over the girls' table. Almost as if he could sense her eyes, he glanced over at her. She knew he had totally caught her checking him out and could feel heat rush to her cheeks. He grinned and winked before turning back to the girls. She expected he was trying to charm them into letting him jump his song in front of theirs. He must have gotten his way, because he was smiling as he moved away from the group and went over to the karaoke machine guy.

He moved up onto the stage and a new persona seemed to take over. He moved to the microphone stand and grasped it in both hands. He closed his eyes and seemed to center and ground himself. As the music started she didn't immediately recognize the intro.

_Prison gates won't open up for me_  
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'  
Oh, I reach for you

But once the words began she was able to place it - _Savin' Me_ by Nickleback. _Davis likes Nickleback??_ But as she watched him standing still on the stage with his eyes closed and nothing moving but his head and hands as he gripped the microphone she was swept up. He had an unexpectedly _powerful_ voice.

_Well I'm terrified of these four walls_  
These iron bars can't hold my soul in  
All I need is you

Suddenly his eyes opened. Even though she knew he should be blinded, she felt like he was meeting her eyes.  
  
Come, please, I'm callin'  
And oh I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

And it was as if he really was calling to her.

_Show me what it's like_  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be

He kept hold of her eyes and Chloe couldn't breathe.  
 _  
Say it for me, say it to me_

Chloe felt she would say anything to him he ever wanted from her.

_And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me_

He suddenly released her eyes as he closed his own. It struck Chloe that he was avoiding getting an answer to the song lyrics. Like he didn't know if he would be worth saving.

Then his voice swelled again as he clung to the mike and tilted it slightly with the power of his emotion for the song. His eyes remained closed as he internalized the struggle.  
  
Heaven's gates won't open up for me  
With these broken wings I'm fallin'

Then his eyes slid open and caught hers again, but this time they were filled with such hope and warmth and....something else. Chloe sat entranced.  
 _  
And all I see is you_

And all she could see was him.

_These city walls ain't got no love for me_  
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story  
And oh I scream for you

Her heart thumped wildly.

_Come, please, I'm callin'_  
And all I need from you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

Without realizing what she did, Chloe got off her stool and slowly moved across the room, closer to the stage as the words poured over her.

_Show me what it's like_  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be  
Say it for me, say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me

"Davis," she spoke the word barely above a whisper, but she somehow felt he heard anyway.

_And all I need is you_  
Come, please, I'm callin'  
And oh, I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

As the instrumental section took over, she and Davis stood frozen. Just staring into each other's eyes.

The spell was suddenly broken as two of the girls noticed her and rushed over.

"Oh my God! Your boyfriend is so hot! And funny! And amazingly talented! You are so lucky!" Chloe didn't turn to face the gushing girl. She just kept looking up at Davis.

_Show me what it's like_  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be  
Say it for me, say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me

 

Chloe knew she had been silent for too long. She finally broke eyes from Davis. She got out, "Uh, no. No, he isn't my boyfriend."

The girls looked at her in surprise and then up at Davis. Davis seemed to pull into himself as if he could somehow feel her rejection.

_Say it if it's worth saving me_

"Are you sure?" one of the girls asked.

_Hurry I'm fallin'_

"Can I have him?" the other asked. She had red hair and lots of breast on display.

_Say it for me, say it to me_

Chloe got the feeling the girl wasn't actually kidding.

_And I'll leave this life behind me_

Chloe met Davis' intense eyes again.

_Say it if it's worth saving me_

Chloe didn't know what Davis needed saving from now, but she vowed to do anything in her power to help this man with the unexpectedly tortured side. She knew that kind of feeling came from real pain. She had had enough pain in her life to know real from fake when it was put on such obvious display. As the music drifted off she saw Davis pull his mask back into place. It was like he was pulling a cloak over the pain he had laid bare on the stage.

As the last note ended, Davis was together again. He smiled broadly and waved at the girls as they clustered around him as he walked down from the stage. The two with her went to join their friends. She saw the redhead slip a piece of paper into his hand.

Chloe swallowed back mixed feelings of loss, and sympathy, and _RAGE_ at the casual play between the redhead and Davis. It was very confusing. Chloe turned on her heel and went back to their drinks. She downed what remained of her beer. She was just replacing the empty glass when Davis made his way back.

"So what did you think?" he said with a smile. Then as she began to gather her jacket and purse, he said in a tone of surprise, "Wait! Where are you going? Did I do something?"

"You were amazing, Davis. But it is late and I should be going." She forced a smile.

He eyed her warily. "You aren't driving, are you? It isn't a good idea after all those shots. You can stay on my couch."

She paused, touched by his concern. She felt a soft smile replace the forced one. "No, I'm not driving. I'll stay at Isis. I have a cot in back for late nights."

He still looked at her warily. Then turning to the bartender he called to close his tab.

Putting on her jacket, Chloe made her final goodbyes. "Well thank you for a great evening, Davis. I'll be going now."

"Wait. The streets aren't safe this late. I'll walk you to Isis."

Chloe paused a moment and had to agree he was right.

Davis got his credit card back and signed the slip. Pulling on his own jacket, he motioned for Chloe to precede him. He got the door when they reached it. She didn't know why that surprised her, but it did. Maybe because none of the other men in her life held doors.

The walked to Isis in mostly silence. It started out uncomfortable, but the more distance they put between the bar and themselves the easier it got. Soon they were shooting silent sideways smiles at each other again.

Finally they reached Isis. Turning to Davis, Chloe said, "Thank you so much for coming out with me tonight, Davis. It really means a lot to me. I'm lucky to have you for a friend."

He was smiling but his eye did a weird tick at the word "friend."

"Good night, Chloe.". He turned to leave, but impulsively Chloe called out to him.

"What? No hug?"

He paused with his back still to her. "Not tonight, Chloe." Then he started walking again.

Chloe felt strangely desolate as she turned to the door for Isis with her key. Things would be clearer in the morning.

And maybe she should call Jimmy and tell him she would be sleeping at Isis tonight. That wouldn't surprise him since he thought she had been working all night. For some reason she hadn't felt comfortable telling him she was meeting Davis for drinks. She paused in the act of opening the door. This was the first time in hours she had thought about Jimmy. How strange that she could so easily forget everything else around Davis. She wasn't sure if this was something she should try to puzzle out or not. She shook her head and closed the door. Either way it could wait for tomorrow.


	22. Chapter 22

Davis woke up with a start to noise and confusion. Where was he?? His skin felt tight and...sticky. He was laying down and in pain.  
  
 _Oh no. Not Again._  
  
He had to get out of here!  
  
Slowly and painfully he sat up and pulled the blanket that was covering him on the gurney back.  
  
"Davis, you probably shouldn't sit up."  
  
Davis looked up and saw it was Chloe's tall friend talking. His memory filled in the name - Clark Kent.  
  
"W-what happened?" Davis asked, afraid of the answer. _Was it me??_  
  
He tried to piece together his memory. How had he ended up here?  
  
"I was hoping you could tell me. There's no sign of a bomb or any other kind of explosion. Did something attack these people?" Clark asked.  
  
His memory was blacked out again. The last thing he remembered was --  
  
"I don't know. I, uh, I was walking with takeout."  
  
Clark looked at him in disbelief and maybe...accusation? _Or was that just his own conscience adding that?_  
  
"You don't remember coming in here? The screams?"  
  
Davis really didn't want to hear about that. He could feel the blood all over his body and it sickened him.  
  
"No," he replied, unable to meet Clark's eyes.  
  
Clark pursed his lips. "Must have gotten a concussion."  
  
Davis decided to take the out Clark offered. "Yeah..." He thought he had the pain under control now, so stood up slowly. He had to get _away from here_.  
  
"Yeah, I probably took a pretty good blow, but I'm fine now."  
  
Slowly, painfully, he began making his way out of the ruined club. Clark trailed along behind him. "You're not fine. You're covered in blood. You're obviously injured. You need to go to the hospital. Let them take care of you."  
  
Didn't this idiot realize that _he_ was the guy that dealt with the injured in the first place?  
  
"I can take care of myself," he replied in what he knew was a not-too-friendly way. Friend of Chloe's or not, he just didn't like that guy. He turned away and continued toward the exit for the club.  
  
He was stopped at the elevator by a uniformed officer who needed his information and statement. Hiding his pain, Davis flashed his paramedic credentials. The officer assumed he had rushed in to help. Davis chose not to correct him. He just wanted OUT. He told the cop he was heading over to the hospital. Giving his contact information, he arranged to come in the next day and give a statement.  
  
Deciding that the hospital was a good idea, Davis walked the few blocks from the club and let himself in through a back entrance near the employee locker room. He didn't want to be seen. But the hospital was closer than home and would have medical supplies to patch himself up. He figured with as much blood as he felt on his skin that he would probably need sutures for one or more cuts. The hospital would also have clean clothes in his locker and he could catch a ride home from one of the guys.

* * *

  
He peeled off the stiff, bloody clothes and threw them onto the bench in the shower room of the hospital employee area. It was late and he couldn't stand the sticky feeling of the blood another second. He didn't even stop to get the clean clothes or soap out of his locker. He would fetch them after he was rinsed and do a full wash and redressing. No one else was likely to come in at this time of night.

He turned the water to scorching level and gratefully moved under the streaming water. He expected his wounds would sting from the heat and intrusion of water, but he needed it. He needed warmth to penetrate the cold knot in his stomach. _Had he been involved in the violence in the club?_

As the water poured over his naked flesh, the blood washed away to reveal...perfect, unbroken skin. He began to move his hands over his body, checking. He didn't have any injuries. How was that possible? That much blood, he must be cut all over. Unless...none of the blood was his.

He felt so suddenly, overwhelmingly sick, that he had to sit down. He curled up into a ball right there on the shower floor as the hot water poured over him, washing the bloody evidence away.

Making him clean - though he felt he would never be clean again.

Rocking back and forth, choking on the bile rising in his throat, he felt like he must be going insane.

_Am I a killer?_


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning, Davis had a plan. He learned at the police station when he gave his statement that the police had brought some of the victim's bodies to the hospital morgue as overflow from their own. He would test his blood against some of the evidence collected from the victims. The reports he had swiped from the station had given him the names and photos of some victims thought to be part of the same monstrous killer. Though he didn't have any wounds, he knew that didn't necessarily mean anything. He healed quickly and a simple scratch might have already closed up. His aches and pains from the night before were already gone.

Davis went to hospital and got into the uniform from his locker so he would blend in. After reviewing the reports and memorizing the victim's names, he put the evidence files into his locker and made his way into the main hospital area. He could just duck in and out to do a blood sample. It would be easy to submit it as part of a routine panel testing. Then he could get some evidence from one of the corpses in the morgue and submit that as part of the police investigative data. On both parts, it was a slight forgery of documents, but nothing that would raise flags.   
  
Ducking into an open bed in the emergency ward, he quickly drew the blood and slipped out again.  
  
He was just walking out of the ER ward when he heard someone calling his name. He tucked the blood sample into this pocket and turned around.  
  
"Yeah. That's me. What can I do for you?"  
  
A smiling boy-man with blondish curly hair, blue eyes, and a wide smile stuck out his hand.  
  
"Jimmy Olsen," he introduced himself.  
  
"As in Chloe's Jimmy?" He remembered the name from the engagement party invite though Chloe had never told him her fiancee's name. He took a longer look at the kid. _This was who Chloe was marrying??_  
  
"She's mentioned you a few times. I hope you don't mind me surprising you like this," Jimmy said in a friendly, open way.  
  
"No. It's no problem."   
  
Davis had trouble meeting the guy's eyes. He felt guilty about his feelings towards his fiancee...and he had trouble equating this boy-man with a woman like Chloe. But a thought occured to him -   
  
"Uh, is this about Chloe?" That had his head snapping up to meet Jimmy's eyes.  
  
Jimmy's face was serious now. "Yeah, I've just been going through her PDA, checking up on who she's been hanging out with."  
  
Guilt washed over Davis as he thought about his time spent with Chloe. While they hadn't done anything _wrong_ , he knew he would have liked to. His active fantasies of the blonde had become a nightly ritual.  
  
Suddenly, Jimmy burst out - "No, no, no." He chuckled. "I'm just --I'm just kidding. I'm not some psycho."  
  
 _The kid had no idea..._  
  
"Yeah, you never can tell these days. So... " he trailed off questioningly. He knew Jimmy wouldn't seek him out for no reason.  
  
"So, I'm just trying to get a scoop on this club massacre. We've heard all sorts of stories about this killer -- the best that he's a monster with bony eyelids."  
  
 _Yeah...so not going there, kid._  
  
"Yeah, I gave my statement to the police. I don't know anything." Davis turned and began walking away. He wanted to get this blood down to the lab.  
  
The kid followed him.   
  
"You know how to drive, don't you?"  
  
 _What?_ Davis looked back at Jimmy over his shoulder.  
  
Seeing his look, Jimmy continued, "Look, I just want to ride along. I figure ambulances are first on the scene. Maybe we'll beat everyone to the next one."  
  
Even on a regular night, arriving at the scene of an accident could be grisly. With the way things had been recently with the attacks... _the attacks he was responsible for??_...it would be a disaster. He had to cut this. Stopping he turned to face Jimmy.  
  
"Trust me -- you do not want to ride shotgun on my watch."  
  
The look on the kid's face showed he clearly didn't understand.  
  
"You don't want to be the first guy there. It's not something that you want to see, given the choice."  
  
"Come on. I mean, can't you do a favor for a bro?"  
  
 _Seriously???_  
  
Seeing that wasn't going to get him anywhere, Jimmy changed tactics. "Okay. Then...how about for Chloe?"  
  
Thinking fast, Davis knew the kid had him trapped. He couldn't have this kid hate him. Jimmy could make it difficult for him and Chloe to spend time together. He couldn't have that.   
  
He almost had to admire the skillful way the boy-man had manipulated him. He chuckled a bit in appreciation.  
  
"Meet me downstairs at 8:00."  
  
"Thank you," Jimmy said sincerely before turning and walking away.  
 _  
How had he gotten so trapped?_  
  
He needed to find out about the killings, not babysit the man who was marrying the girl _he_ wanted.  
  
Deciding to do the only thing he could control right now, Davis turned and headed for the lab drop off. Then he would go to the morgue for the second sample.


	24. Chapter 24

Davis looked over several bodies in the morgue before finding one that had what he needed. A corpse of a young man had some flesh beneath the fingernails. it looked like he scratched at his attacker. He took the plastic sample dish and using blunted tweasers, scraped the flesh into the dish.  
  
The door opened to the exam room and Chloe's light filled the dark room.  
  
"Chance meeting in a moldy basement over a corpse. Will the romance never end?"

 _Romance?_ No, he couldn't think about that now. Chloe was light and life and everything beautiful. And this was anything but...  
  
Instead he said softly, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I wanted to see the coroner's report on the latest victim. She was a new member of my Isis group."  
  
Ah, he expected he knew which girl Chloe had come to see. The girl next door was in her late teens and also a suspected victim of the killer that took out the people in the club. Chloe must have seen him in here from the adjoining room.  
  
Not knowing what else to say, he responded simply, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah. I mean, she was afraid of being targeted, and now..."  
  
Chloe's distress pulled at him, but at least here he could do something.  
  
"It wasn't your fault."  
  
Chloe responded with a guilt heavy voice. "She was there because of me. And to top it all off, there area few trigger-happy people who are convinced that one of my kids is behind all of this."  
  
 _No, it's not your kids, Chloe. Because I think **I** am the reason for all this..._  
  
Moving around the table with the body, Chloe moved closer to him. "And you? Checking for strep throat?" He guessed she was trying to lighten the mood, but it had the opposite effect.  
  
Guilt and pain washed over him.  
  
"Look, you don't have to worry, Chloe. I-I don't think that one of your clients did this."  
  
She looked at him very intently and responded, "I'd like to think so, too. But I still need to find a suspect."  
  
 _You have one, Chloe. And you are looking at him._ He felt tears begin to pool on the edges of his eyes.  
  
Seeing his upset, she asked, "Davis? What is it?"  
  
He knew she would never look at him the same, but he couldn't lie to her.  
  
"Um... I'm afraid that I might be the killer."  


* * *

  
  
 _What? No way,_ Chloe thought.  
  
The Davis she knew and...cared for couldn't have done this.  
  
"Look Davis," she responded, "I just need to clear up some things, but then we will go to Isis and figure this out. Promise me not to do anything stupid until then."

* * *

  
  
Davis was amazed she hadn't immediately turned from him in disgust. That more than anything made him acquiesce. He would drop off the tissue sample at the lab and then follow Chloe. He wasn't sure why she seemed to think he was innocent, but he was desperate to believe her.  
  
"OK," he agreed.

* * *

  
  
As they got into Chloe's car, she turned to him with one word. "Spill." Haltingly at first, Davis began telling Chloe about the night before - the blackouts, waking up at the club, and the blood covering him. Chloe was silent, listening. When they finally reached Isis, Davis expected the strain was too much for Chloe, because she started speaking even before the door to the office was shut.  
  
"Davis, I know that you are not responsible for these killings, okay? I know you." She was a bundle of nerves and energy. Stripping off her jacket, Chloe had the look of a woman on a mission. He turned to close the door she had left open behind her. She continued with spirit, "You save people every day. What could make you think that you were a brutal serial killer?"  
  
Having finally said the words out loud seemed to have broken something inside him. Now hearing Chloe describe "a brutal serial killer" had him folding his arms over his chest defensively as he paced out his own fear-filled energy. But again, he couldn't lie to her. She had to know everything now, and she had to understand that this wasn't a conclusion he had come to easily.  
  
"Look, Chloe, I've run the self-denial mantra for weeks, but how do you explain the blackouts? How do you explain that I was covered in blood?! None of it was mine." _She had pain in her eyes. Was it for him??_ Without breaking, he continued, "I want to believe that you're right more than anyone, but..."  
  
Again, with the focus of a woman on a mission, she responded, "Then it's just a matter of finding the real killer." She leaned down to pull up something on her laptop and began typing quickly.  
  
He couldn't believe it. She really believed in him. Even with the evidence pointing to his guilt, her faith in _him_ had her believing in his innocence. _Why would she believe in him so much?_ He had to know.  
  
He asked in wonder, "You really don't believe that it could be me, do you?"  
  
"No," she said firmly and without a hint of hesitation. Just one word, but it said so much...  
  
"Even though we just met?" She kept typing away. _Could she believe in him, because she felt something for him?_ It was the only thing that might make any sort of sense. The immensity of his hope overwhelmed him and he choked out, "You're really...leaping out on a limb for me."  
  
She looked up at him calmly. "Well, if what they say is true and fools do rush in, then I have definitely earned the mantle of 'village idiot' on this one."  
  
Her throw away comment was more than he could take. "And then you just toss it all aside with a healthy dose of self-deprecation." He shook his head that she didn't seem to realize the enormity of her leap of faith.  
  
Pausing in her typing, he seemed to have hit upon something sensitive to her. "Please don't make me a saint," she said.  
 _  
Didn't she realize that she was better than a saint? She was an angel - his angel._ But he didn't think he could say that right now. She would just shrug that off too. He settled for shaking his head and turning away.  
  
"What?" she asked in response anyway.  
  
Settling on the couch, he decided to give her a hint of his feelings. "Luck isn't part of my daily routine, Chloe. But I just --I feel like..." He paused, unsure of how much to say. Looking at her hopefully, she responded by raising her brows in question. The honest unspoken request for him to go on did it. Finally, he decided to jump in. "I feel like you were sent to me."  
  
He saw her breath catch at the weight of his words, but she caught herself quickly. That reaction gave him hope, but closing the laptop she shifted the conversation back to the initial problem. "You are not a serial killer," she said firmly moving to sit next to him on the couch. "Look, Davis, when did those blackouts start happening?"  
  
"For as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I-I would go a couple months without a blackout, but they're just --they're getting so frequent." His voice broke at the end as the stress of the situation came back to him again.  
  
Putting the pieces together, Chloe asked, "Is that why you bounced from foster home to foster home?"  
  
Sighing heavily, Davis admitted his deepest, darkest fear. The thing that had him up nights. The thing that made him leave every person that got too close. The thing he had never told a single soul - ever. "I've always felt like... kind of like there was this darkness inside me... just fighting to get out."  
  
His eyes burned and his throat was closing. _Was this it? Was this when she would finally see him for a monster?_  
  
But that didn't happen.  
  
Instead, Chloe looked at him compassionately before stating softly, "So you closed yourself off to everyone." She had it right. He shouldn't be surprised by her perception, but it was more than he could take. He turned away. He couldn't look at her right now, it was just too much.  
  
But following up on that profound insight, she asked in a tone of incredulous surprise, "After all these years of keeping this secret, why are you telling me?"  
  
He knew there was no way she didn't see into his heart for that answer. As perceptive as she was, she had to _know_. He turned and looking into her eyes, he saw denial. For some reason, she was afraid to admit to the truth. Even to herself. Well, he had gone too far tonight. There had been too much truth tonight to let her continue thinking a lie. He wouldn't let her escape so easily.  
  
"I think you know.," he said simply. He turned away as he gave her a second to finally accept the truth she had been pushing away. After he felt his words had struck he continued, "I've -- I've never met anyone like you."  
  
But what if she was wrong? If he was the monster, he didn't deserve someone like her. His fear returned. "Chloe, but what if I'm right? What if you're looking at a murderer?"  
  
Again, Chloe sounded like the voice of reason. "Davis, there are lots of people who could have done these killings. And we're gonna find who did."  
  
Reaching forward, she pulled him into an embrace. He closed his eyes as pain washed over his soul. He still feared he was the killer, but her faith in him was a balm. Pain and comfort fought within him as he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what to think, but Chloe was holding him either way. Man or monster, she was holding him.


	25. Chapter 25

Chloe said she needed time to investigate, so Davis left her with her computer to do her own research into the killings.  
  
It had been quite some time since he had dropped off the samples, so he decided to head back to the hospital and see if the results were in.  
  
He was in luck, they had just finished. He printed a copy of the report, but was just starting to look it over when he saw Clark Kent walking towards him. Clark Kent, who had appeared in the background of so many of the photos he had stolen from the police station. Something was off about that guy and he liked this guy less and less each time they met.

Maybe some of Chloe's confidence in his innocence had made it into his head, because when the red-jacketed ass came at him, he went on the offensive. He wasn't about the roll over for this self-righteous lurker.  
  
Smiling as he walked away, Davis felt kind of bad-ass at leaving the big man gaping in his wake. It was amazing what the faith of a good woman could do for a guy.

* * *

 

Davis' high was short lived when he recalled he had promised Jimmy a ride-along tonight. He wondered idly if Chloe knew that Jimmy was going to spend his night with him. She didn't talk about Jimmy much, though it seemed Chloe did mention _him_ to Jimmy. A wave of joy washed through him and Davis grinned to himself.

Slowly it faded as he realized he was spending his night with the wrong half of that pair. He decided to make Jimmy earn the time. He called Jimmy and told him to meet in room 144 - one of the rooms that had been made into an impromptu morgue. He rather hoped the sight of the dead body would make Jimmy reconsider the ride-along.

* * *

 

By the time the 8:00 meeting time had come around, Davis was exhausted both emotionally and physically. So when he startled Jimmy in the room-turned-morgue he didn't have the energy to apologize. Instead he just decided to confirm the boy's resolve. "You ready to catch a killer?"

_Dammit._ The idiot just smiled excitedly and said, "Yeah."

_Great..._

* * *

 

Davis knew exhaustion was a very bad thing in general for someone in his position - both mentally and for the work. Having the chipper kid along was not helping.

Bubbling with eagerness, Jimmy asked, "So, how often do you get a dispatch?"

"Depends on the night." He knew almost instantly by the silence in the other seat that his answer had come out too short. Trying to ease the awkwardness, he added, "Some nights are busier than others."

"Well, I bet you see a lot of horrible things, huh?" Jimmy responded with some sympathy.

Unfortunately it was the absolute worst thing he could have said. The memories of the mutilated bodies brought the darkness inside him creeping out. The darkness could feel his weakened state and was trying to take over. Davis tried to fight it, but it was hard. Salvation came from an unexpected source - the dispatcher voice over the radio.

"All units in the area, we have a 4-11 in progress. Corner of Liberty and 8th."

A person was in need of help and they were close. His desire to help, to do _good_ was his own rescuer. The darkness retreated.

Jimmy asked, "Uh, what's a 4-11?"

In a normal voice, Davis replied, "It's the reason you came along tonight." Davis switched on the light and sirens and added speed.

* * *

 

Pulling up in the darkened alley, Davis knew as soon as he found the bloody keys this wasn't a good situation. It wasn't the first time he had to respond to a call in a bad neighborhood. Or even the first time he responded when danger was still present. But he was used to doing so alone. Not with a vulnerable tag-along.

He turned and told Jimmy firmly, "Stay here." Thankfully the kid didn't argue. Chloe would never forgive him if anything happened to Jimmy.

Moving towards the sounds he heard in the alley, Davis tried to find who needed help. Or at least who had called in for help.

Moving forward slowly, he flashed his light around. There was an odd movement in the shadows over.... _there!_

A man was on the ground and _something_ was leaning over him. Dark claws raked out across the man's face, and the corpse's head snapped completely around.

Davis let out an involuntary cry. The creature looked up, and was instantly upon Davis. It grabbed his shirt with one bloody hand. The other smokey black claw raised and...

PAIN! Then...blackness.

* * *

 

He woke up what he thought must be a few minutes later. He expected the creature had knocked him out, but his quick healing had him regaining consciousness fairly soon after. He had blood on his shirt, and his arm wasn't working quite right. He left his fallen gear on the ground and stumbled back towards the ambulance.

The last person he expected to see there was Clark Kent.

Sanctimoniously, Clark demanded, "What did you do with Jimmy?!"

Davis felt anger fill him, but before he could respond, something gripped Davis' neck from behind and pulled him away. He was so shocked, he couldn't even think straight. A dark _something_ with glowing green eyes began to choke him. He tried to punch it, but his arms went right through the dark mist. Suddenly the creature looked up and saw Clark. For some reason it let go and fled into the shadows.

After the creature fled, Clark ran up to him as Davis kept sputtering and coughing on the ground. It was terribly painful trying to pull air into his lungs through his bruised pipes.

He heard the creature move in the shadows and Jimmy returned and spoke with Clark, but Davis' mind couldn't follow the conversation. He was too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

Finally, he got his body back under control - or maybe his healing had finally fixed it. Davis turned his head to reorient himself and saw the mangled body with the slashed face. It startled him so badly he crawled backwards along the pavement and into something hard. He felt consciousness leave him again...

* * *

 

It was the whirls and flashing off to the side that brought Davis around again a few minutes later. He expected it was Jimmy's camera. Unsteadily, and for the second time that night, Davis pulled himself up from the alley floor to see Clark Kent.

Davis was very glad that the big ass didn't say anything this time. Davis wasn't entirely sure that he wouldn't deck the guy once he was steady again. But this time Clark looked kind of...sorry. Chloe was right. Davis wasn't the killer and they had both seen it with their own eyes.

Davis had never felt so vindicated in his entire life. He wasn't a monster. And Chloe had somehow known all along...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bloody hand
> 
> I noticed the bloody handprint on Davis' shirt and the clawed face of the victim in the episode. So this is how I imagine it happened.
> 
> I also figure all the attacks on Davis must have been very fast since he didn't try to defend himself.


	26. Chapter 26

Despite the late hours and action of the previous night, Davis woke early the next morning feeling like a new man. The dark shadow that had been hanging over him was gone. As if the weather knew his mind, it was a perfectly gorgeous day with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. He stretched languidly and thought about the woman that was responsible for it all. The woman that had believed in him when there was no reason she should. The woman that...held his heart. He gave up fighting it in that moment. He didn't care for Chloe. He didn't appreciate her as a friend. He LOVED her. And he had to get something for her to show her how much her belief in him meant.

He tossed the covers aside and leapt out of the bed. Snatching his phone off the nightstand he made his way into the kitchen in bare feet and boxer briefs to make some breakfast. He hit the speed dial for Chloe as he pulled out some cereal.  
  
"Hey Davis!" she answered on the second ring.  
  
He knew she had his number in her phone, but still hearing her answer with his name made him happy for some reason.  
  
"Hey Chloe. I really need to thank you for...well everything over the last two days. Will you let me take you to lunch?"  
  
He could hear the smile in her voice as she replied, "Definitely. That cafe by you had awesome coffee and a nice specials board as I recall. How about we meet there around 12:30?"  
  
"Sounds great," he replied.  
  
"See you then!" She hung up.  
  
Smiling like a loon, Davis finished the cereal standing in the middle of the kitchen and dressed quickly. He had a lot to do before 12:30.

* * *

 

He knew it was perfect the second he saw it.

It was a gold necklace with a simple heart pendant. The solid 3-dimensional heart was some sort of textured gold so it had a mellow warmth and a single diamond on the right side. It was understated and beautiful. Its simple beauty immediately made him think of Chloe.

"I'll take that" he told the clerk.

* * *

 

Walking through the door of his apartment, Davis placed the glossy red box with the elegant necklace inside on the kitchen counter.

He was doing well on time, but he needed to move quickly. It took time to put together his Class "A" dress uniform.

He figured he should look his best for the woman he loved. And what woman didn't love a man in a dress uniform?

* * *

 

His anxiety got the better of him. He was ready by a few minutes after 12. He stood in front of the mirror and brushed invisible lint off the jacket. His patches and service pins were all perfect. His shoulder rope gleamed a shiny white.

Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he grabbed up the box with necklace and made his way across the street. He would order a beer and people watch for a while. Hopefully that would tame the butterflies.

* * *

 

At 12:30 on the dot, Chloe rounded the corner to the cafe. He had chosen one of the outside tables because of the fine weather and because it would allow him to see her that precious few seconds earlier.

"Heyyyy," she said dragging out the word happily. She was glowingly beautiful in the sunlight. It was as if she was the source of the light as it played highlights in her blonde hair. Her shaped curves hinted at by the form fitting suit she wore. He thought the necklace resting in the red box would look great with the outfit.

"Been waiting long?" she asked.

Davis felt suddenly very shy. He smiled behind his hand and shook his head in the negative, motioning to the empty seat across from him.

When she was seated, he thought _first things first._

"I don't know how to thank you for believing in me when I was up against the ropes," he said.

Still smiling her beautiful smile she responded, "We all need someone to pitch a seat in our corner."

_Way too broad, Chloe. Let's not play that game._

"Yeah, I guess, but most of the time, it's not a possible murder suspect standing there."

She leaned forward on the table. "Davis, you were scared and paranoid. That's all. Seriously, backing someone who's actually innocent isn't much of a sacrifice." Her joy at being right about him radiating warmth straight into his heart. Then she took it another step. "Besides, everything with you is so..." she trailed off looking for the right word.

He knew what the right word was immediately, because he felt the same. "So easy."

Smiling broadly again she agreed, "Yeah. Easy." He could feel her eyes lingering on him.

It was such a new and unexpected feeling for him - being easy with someone. He never felt easy with anyone. His secret darkness didn't allow for it. Chloe knew about the darkness, but she felt the same as he did. Marveling in the feeling, he asked her, "Have you ever felt that way with anyone before?"

He knew instantly it was the wrong question. Her smile vanished and she compressed her lips together. He read the answer instantly. Somehow the question brought her a pain.

"Once," she replied with a sorrowful tinge. He didn't understand the sorrow, but he expected he knew the person and why it broke the mood.

"With Jimmy," he stated. Davis began mentally kicking himself for bringing the boy-man into the conversation. But she surprised him when she looked down and breathed out a single low word...

"No..."

_Dared he hope? If it wasn't Jimmy, did that mean she would be open to himself? If Jimmy wasn't her end-all-be-all perfect match and she knew it..._

Davis decided to go for it. "Look, Chloe, I'm not trying to get between you and the rest of your life, but, uh..." _You are everything to me. I love you. I need you. Don't marry him. Be with me._

There were too many words and none of them were enough.

He felt her trying to escape this turn in the conversation. Her voice turned light and she frantically began to twist and play with her engagement ring. It was like she was trying to remind herself of something. "Davis, I help people. That's what I do. You know, this doesn't have to mean any more than that."

He wouldn't let her try to weasel away again by playing "friends." He had accepted there was something...exceptional here. He knew she felt it too.

"Yeah, but it does," he replied intently.

She gave up the friendly mask so he pressed, "Did you help me because of some personal code of ethics, or was there more to it than that?" He was sure he knew the answer. What he wasn't sure of was how she would answer.

He didn't at all expect her to run.

"I shouldn't be here right now," she said as she frantically turned to grab her purse and leave.

Shocked by the suddenness, Davis burst out, "Why? Because you feel guilty about something?" It was the only reason that made sense. And it gave him reason to keep hoping.

"No," she said with an odd laugh. "And I'd like it to stay that way." Her eyes met his and asked him to understand.

He didn't understand at all.

Then she pulled the rug out from underneath his world. "I think it's best if I don't see you for a while. Sorry."

And just like that she was gone. He felt his heart shatter as she walked - almost ran - away.

_He loved her, how could she run away like that?_

The pain was so deep he couldn't move.

* * *

 

Davis didn't know how long he sat there. The cafe waiters came out a few times. Whenever they did, he ordered another beer and kept staring off down the street where she had run away.

Finally one of the staff told him they were closing for a while to prepare for the dinner shift. He grabbed a number of bills from his wallet - he didn't pay attention to how much it was - and tossed them onto the table.

He snatched up his uniform hat, but left the glossy red box on the table with the money.

He couldn't look at it, that gift he had bought with so much hope in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My feels!
> 
> Ok, so my heart broke more than a little with that final scene. I noticed the glossy box on the table during the show and thought to build a bit of story around it. (You can see it on screencaps.) I hope you liked it.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter reads kind of like drabbles as we explore our main characters apart, but they will be back soon!

Chloe knew as soon as she turned the corner out of sight of Davis that she had either made the best or worst decision of her life. She sighed and leaned back against the brick wall of the building. She knew that she could turn right back around the corner and set things right.  
  
But if she did that, she was afraid of what might happen. She had already committed herself to Jimmy. Nice, normal, utterly uncomplicated Jimmy. Though her mind hinted he wasn't so uncomplicated, she couldn't recall the details so she ignored it. Jimmy - the first boy she loved. The first, and only, boy she had ever made love with. Jimmy that she could tuck into a little corner pocket of her life.  
  
She doubted that she could ever do that with Davis. Just look at how much he had come to be part of it already. She had been devastated when Clark brought evidence that Davis might be the killer. Her elation at his innocence skyrocketed her back to new heights. It was just too much. She had to push him away before they both got hurt.  
  
Straightening away from the wall, she secured her purse higher on her shoulder and determinately walked away.  
  
She went half a block before realizing it was the wrong direction. She would have to circle the whole block to avoid going past that fateful cafe. She gave a laugh to herself. This just proved she was right. Jimmy had never put her into such a tizzy that she went the wrong way. She nodded approvingly to herself, sure now she had done the right thing.

* * *

 

It had been weeks since they last met at that cafe, and Chloe missed Davis. She missed his easy company as Jimmy became more and more difficult. Something between her and Jimmy was fracturing. She wasn't sure what it was because details kept slipping away, but something was off.

But she was stubborn and always had been. Without a firm reason, or at least one she could _remember_ , she wasn't willing to give up on them.

Some of the tension was easy to pinpoint. The incident with The Blur photograph was a big one. Jimmy felt she had lied to him, and well...she had. But Clark's secret was more important than anything. Even Jimmy. And she knew that Jimmy was actually safer not knowing. Though she knew Jimmy was hurt that she hadn't backed him on principle. At least the sensationalism of "The Blur" helped smooth things over there.

* * *

 

She kept having weird dreams about something that happened shortly after the Blur events. Something about a guy in a hospital bed and computer overloads. Garbled images that slipped away before she fully woke. Something was _wrong_ about the situation, but she wasn't sure what. So she pushed the images back into that growing section of her mind that was lost.

* * *

 

Davis caught a glimpse of her. She was walking away and didn't look back, so she didn't see him. It was very late at night, so he wasn't sure why she was here at the hospital. He had just dropped off a patient and was walking through the emergency ward back to his rig. There was some sort of ruckus going on in one of the rooms. From the calls and monitor noises it sounded like someone was crashing.

He desperately wanted to call out to her retreating form, but his throat closed. She wanted to be away from him. Even so, that didn't stop him from following her with his eyes until she was gone.

* * *

 

That night Davis woke again in a dark alley with no idea how he had gotten there. At least he had clothes on this time, and even better - no blood.

He wasn't so lucky the next night.

* * *

 

Finally, he came to the conclusion that he couldn't keep living with the blackouts as they were. Maybe it was some sort of genetic brain defect that caused the blackouts. He had already investigated therapy and drugs years ago. He pretended to be cured because the meds made him feel sick. Of course, that was before the blackouts had reached this level.

The problem with investigating a genetic link was he didn't have any information on his birth parents. Not even any memories to work from. In fact, he remembered very little about his childhood in general. Some of that was by choice and some because it was just blank.

He began by working through his contacts at the hospital and foster agencies, but quickly ran into a dead end. He just didn't have very good researching skills. But he knew someone who did...if she would see him.

He hoped she would, because he desperately needed her help.

* * *

 

Chloe signed in frustration as the computers at Isis all crashed again. This was becoming a regular, and very _annoying_ , thing.

Her power had surpassed what the machines could stand. Maybe she should investigate the costs of upgrading the system. Though supposedly Lana had bought all state-of-the-art equipment when she started Isis. When the computers came back online she would look into that first thing.

When she finally had the computers rebooted, Chloe tried to remember what she was going to research, but the thought was gone.

She knew deep down that the dark holes in her memory were bad, but she had a hard time holding onto the feeling. Besides, she didn't want Clark to go all...well, Clark-ish about it.


	28. Chapter 28

When Chloe found the crystal, she knew it was her only shot for getting Clark and Lois back. She knew it was a complex system that created The Fortress. It was basically a Kryptonian computer. And if it was a computer, she could use it. All she needed was the right interface.  
  
Where was Oliver when she needed him?

* * *

 

Chloe hung up the phone again. Oliver was still unreachable. She released an angry, frustrated breath.

She heard the door open and a knock. Chloe turned to see the last person she would have expected. It was Davis. She was sure that her abrupt departure from the cafe had forced him away for good. If she wasn't so stressed about Clark and Lois and frustrated by Oliver she could have told him how sorry she was about that. But with the way things were, all she could mange was -

"Hey."

He must have read her upset, because he replied, "Um, this a bad time?"

But as it had always been with him, her mood shifted easily and she playfully told the truth - sort of.

"It's just one of those days when I feel like my friends have left the planet."

But duty called before pleasure.

"Can I actually call you a little later?" She refused to admit that now that he had broken the standoff, she could happily do that.

Whatever he came about must be important, because he began defensively, "I, uh, remember what you said. I don't mean to violate your no-fly zone - "

_No-fly zone?_ She had forgotten how cute he could be.

"But... my blackouts are getting worse."

_Oh god._

"Are you okay?" she asked. He looked together, at least. Not fragile like when he feared he was a killer.

"I thought if I could find my birth parents, they'd answer some questions, but I'm starting to feel like I just fell out of the sky."

Chloe smiled. She actually knew someone that fell out of the sky.

Moving around the desk toward him and the papers he held, she said, "I highly doubt that. Here, let me see what you brought me."

Handing her the paper, Davis continued, "That is my life story. That's a list of all known schools and foster homes."

The file was pretty thin, but the story it told was terribly sad as she scanned it in seconds.

"Jones, Webber, Pearson, Vogal, McBride, Moss. Wow! I mean, I know you leapfrogged homes as a kid, but your family tree is more like the Redwood Forest."

It was amazing with all that he had been through that he turned into the compassionate person he was.

"The problem is, I can't find anything on the first three years of my life," he replied.

_Huh._

"That is weird."

"Yeah, so, um...how about it, Chloe? Do you want to dust off your reporter's hat and help a guy out?"

_Dammit, he hit her right where she lived with that one._

She couldn't leave a mystery like this unsolved. Though not now. _One issue at a time, and Lois and Clark missing had higher billing._

"Yeah, of course, Davis. Though I have some other issues to deal with right now. I'll call you when I know something?"

He smiled that lopsided smile and rocked back and forth on his heels with his hands in his pockets. It was a surprisngly boyish action.

"Thanks, Chloe."

In mid rock, he pivoted on one heel and swung towards the door. Reaching it and halfway through, he shot a smile over his shoulder at her.

Despite the stress she was under, she couldn't help but smile back as he closed the door behind him.

The warmth in the room vanished as soon as the latch clicked. Chloe shook herself and plotted out her next move to find Oliver and the crystal interface.

* * *

 

He couldn't help it. His heart felt surprisingly light. She hadn't pushed him away again. If she said she would contact him, Davis had every faith that she would.

He was filled with hope that she would help him get to the bottom of these blackouts. Then maybe he could have a normal life. One that looked like it may have Chloe in it again.

* * *

 

Chloe was in process of cleaning off a table where she could put the crystal interface machine. She had just picked up the file Davis left when Faora/Lois appeared.

She still had no idea why Faora/Lois decided to leave, but she was glad. Oliver was close to finding the interface machine.

She picked up Davis' spilled file and placed it aside with the other desk contents. She would get to it after Clark and Lois were normal and safe. She checked Oliver's status at the Luthor mansion on her phone again.


	29. Chapter 29

This was turning out to be a pretty good day for Davis Bloome. He got to see Chloe. He had faith he would help her track down his birth parents and finally help solve the mystery of his blackouts, and he just managed to help patch up a kid that took a nasty spill on his bike. The kid's injuries looked worse then they were and he would be left with nothing more than some scars to impress his friends.  
  
That was when things got weird.

For some reason Chloe's cousin was in the ER. He had only met her once, but the people in Chloe's life stuck out to him.  
  
In a tone of wonder, Lois said, "You helped him."  
  
 _Had she forgotten he was an EMT?_ He decided to let that pass.  
  
"Hey. What are you doing here, Lois?" he asked instead, moving around her.  
  
"I might ask you that question."  
  
 _Huh? That was very weird. Could she be in some sort of shock?_  
  
Chloe was kind of off when he saw her earlier. Could it have to do with her cousin?  
  
"Is everything okay?" he asked.  
  
She looked at him oddly with a furrowed brow. "I don't understand. All that human carnage. Is that not your doing?"  
  
 _Ok, that one hit too close to home._  
  
His first reaction, as always, was to hide his dark secret.  
  
"Maybe we need to find you a doctor," he said.  
  
She looked at him benevolently now. "All I need is you, my son."  
  
 _What the hell?_  
  
And as if that was weird enough, Lois pulled him into an embrace and in a comforting voice told him - "Mother's here."  
  
That took the cake for strangest thing ever. So much for a good day...  


* * *

 

 

Davis escorted "Mother" down to an empty patient room. She should be safe and out of the way here until whatever she took was out of her system. He didn't want her to get locked up in the psych ward, or say anything incriminating. He got her a strong coffee from the pot and mentally ran through the list of drugs she could have taken that would cause her hallucinogenic state. Thankfully when he returned with the coffee, she was still there and appeared calm.

"Here -- this won't sober you up, but it'll help clear away the cobwebs." He held out the coffee to her.

She ignored the cup and looked at him assessingly.

"You don't recognize me... but you are the spitting image of your father."

_Holy crap. What had she taken???_

Whatever it was, coffee definitely wasn't the answer. He put the cup down and pulled the handlight from his pocket.

"Okay. Lois, you got to reason with me. What kind of drugs did you take -- pills, powder, paste? Don't tell me you injected anything."

He shined the light into her eyes, which reacted normally.

She kept looking at him in that strange, focused way.

"You don't know who you are," she said simply. That gave him pause. He didn't think Lois knew about his background.

"You experience blackouts? Hours of your life mysteriously lost? Your body's still evolving," she finished.  
 _  
Ok, that was too much. Too close to home._

He backed away from her and unconsciously placed a finger on his lips as if to silence the horrible words.

But he had to know. "Okay... How do you know that?"

Her next words proved it was just a lucky shot in the dark from her. She was still just hallucinating.

"Before we were phantoms, Zod and I were unable to have children. So we created you."

_How the hell had HE gotten pulled into her insane fantasy?_

"You - " he couldn't stop the incredulous and relieved laugh that escaped, "created me..."

He laughed. _Well he HAD been looking for his parents. And here was one all along_ he thought sarcastically.

But Lois wasn't done.

"You arrived here as genetic matter, containing our planet's most powerful life-forms... so that, in time, you would evolve to become Earth's ultimate destroyer."

_Ultimate destroyer?? Where was this coming from?_

"I drive an ambulance."

She stepped forward much too close and his discomfort found new heights. Placing a hand on his cheek, she looked at him intently. "The duty of a child is to continue the legacy his parents began." She moved away and if her words weren't so disturbing and strange, he would have felt relief.

But she wasn't done. Her voice turned dark and firm. "Our family is meant to take this planet as our own. And after seeing you with these humans, I realize that you are still too weak to fulfill your destiny."

_He had no idea what to say to that. Maybe she did need to be put into the psych ward..._

Then before he could even wrap his mind the impossibility of it, she ripped one of metal side rails from the bed and drove it through his chest.

The suddenness and overwhelming nature of the pain was so great, he couldn't even cry out. Lois looked at him with the hardest expression he had ever seen. When she pulled the pole free, he collapsed.

Clinically, he knew his lung was pierced through and filling with blood. He would drown in it. He gasped a few gurgling breaths. This was not how he had expected to die.

_Had he done enough that his life had some sort of meaning? Would he make it into the heaven he heard about every week? Would Chloe cry for him? Had he been_ **good**?

Psychopathic Lois leaned down over him as he tried to force just one more breath. Chloe would expect him to fight for life. Lois gently began to stroke his hair. "Trust me, my son. That which kills you makes you stronger." Stroke. Stroke. "I'll be back when you're ready."

Finally it was too much. He slipped into the darkness of death. The last thing he saw as the light faded was Chloe.


	30. Chapter 30

Finally, Oliver had the crystal and she could use it to pull Clark from the Phantom Zone. Though she didn't understand why Oliver would still doubt her when she said she could hack the crystal. In their years of working together, hadn't she always delivered?  
  
She placed the crystal into the interface and mentally linked to the crystal. It began to spin. It was slightly painful and strained at something in her. But as she linked on more and more levels with the crystal, it became easier. It was like breaking through successive firewalls. She was becoming one with the crystal. Finally she breached the last barrier and let the crystal's power flow through her. She felt _AMAZING._ Then she heard Oliver's distant voice want to stop her. _NO._ Her body was powered by the force of the crystal and easily controlled by the _something_ in her mind. She easily pushed away the minor annoyance. Space and time were one pathway and she soared through them until she found the place she wanted. The place that echoed with Clark's connection to the crystal. She reveled in the power of the open pathway.  
  
Finally, she felt a _SNAP_ and knew she had Clark. The connection with the crystal broke. She came back to herself. She felt slightly weak, but not too bad overall. She had a bloody nose and was kind of confused, but she felt good.  
  
Though she hated to admit she missed the powerful feel of that connection.  
  
Clark quickly assessed the situation, and she sent him after Lois/Faora.  
  
She should help that guy that was collapsed on the floor. What was his name again? Something to do with drag?  
  
Then, for herself, Chloe needed some coffee.


	31. Chapter 31

Davis awoke with a gasp on the floor of the patient room where Lois had killed him. The room where _HE HAD DIED._  
  
He was laying in a pool of blood. Mute evidence to what had happened. Turning painfully onto his back he rolled his head to the side.  
  
Yes, it was there and bloodied at the end - the pole that she had driven through his body to kill him.  
  
He had a strange, twisted thought that it was good foresight to bring Lois to an unoccupied area before. He could have woken up in the morgue. _How would he have explained that??_  
  
Then he started to chuckle, but it was quickly cut off by the pain it caused. Yes, he was worried about where he could have woken up and not the fact HE HAD WOKEN UP FROM DEATH.  
  
He closed his eyes and just laid still for a few moments more. The pain continued to recede. He wasn't sure why, but the natural ability he alaways had to recover quickly from injury had gone into hyper-drive the last few months. Soon he didn't feel any pain anymore, just soreness.  
  
Davis slowly sat up with a sickening sounding sticky peeling noise. He winced agin, but his time for the implication of the sound. He had been laying here long enough for the blood to congeal into a sticky mess.  
  
Slowly and carefully as his body did actually decide to throw out a few more jabs of pain now that he was moving, Davis got to his feet. He looked down at the shirt he wore.  
  
While it was not unusual for an EMT to have blood on their uniform, there was no way he could explain this much or how it had gotten all over his back. He stripped off the stiff shirt and undershirt beneath. He considered what to do with them. He could dispose of them in one of the hospital waste containers, but he was afraid of them being found there. He would take them home and burn them. He never wanted to wear THAT particular shirt or undershirt again. He stuffed both pieces into a trashbag raided from the supply closet. If he ran into anyone that asked why he was shirtless, he would tell them the truth. Sort of. He would say they had blood on them and he was on his way to the locker to change. At least the dark pants hid the blood better, though he would change from and burn them too.  
  
Having resolved upon that, he looked at the puddle of his blood on the floor.  
  
Should he clean it now or after changing?  
  
He decided now since he didn't want to risk ruining another set of clothes.  
  
Davis peeked his head out the door and saw that the corridor was just as abandoned as it was when he brought Lois down here.  
  
 _Lois!_ What had happened to her?  
  
Davis shook his head. He couldn't think about that right now. The only way he would get through any of this was to take it one step at a time.  
  
He wouldn't think about what had happened in that room. He wouldn't think about Lois and her weird behavior. He wouldn't think about that pole and the blood and pain and dea... **NO!** He was NOT thinking about that right now.  
  
Current step - get something to clean up the blood. Then think about next step.  
  
Squaring his jaw, Davis moved out into the hall to search for cleaning supplies.  


* * *

  
  
It was almost 6am by the time Davis made it home.  
  
He was exhausted.  
  
He had a plastic bag in his hand that contained the bloody set of clothes. He placed it on the floor inside the door. He stared a the bag for several long moments trying to decide on the appropriate next step. Burn the clothes or sleep?  
  
He resolved on sleep, because he really and truly hoped this was a dream and upon waking he would find the clothes and the blood staining them would be just part of the nightmare.  
  
For once he didn't even care about the mess he made as he stripped off his clothes and threw them every which way. He stripped down to his bare skin before climbing between the cool sheets, not even wearing his customary boxer-briefs to sleep. He didn't want a stitch of clothing from this horror filled night touching him.  
  
He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.  


* * *

  
  
Davis jolted upright with a start. Waves of blood receding from his vision as he blinked from sleep to wakefulness. Pushing the covers down he traced a hand over the perfect skin of his chest and abdomen.  
  
Leaping out of bed, he ran across the room towards the full length mirror. He turned so he could look over his shoulder at his back. The skin of his back was also perfect.  
  
So had it been a dream?  
  
He turned and moved back to sit down on the edge of the bed in shock. He began to play the insane events of the night before in his head. He looked out the window and saw that evening had fallen as he slept. He realized he should count himself lucky to be off for the next two days. Continuing to play the events in his head he realized that if it was real, there would be a bag of bloody clothes with holes in them near the front door. He quickly donned a pair of lounge pants and slowly stalked into the living room. He wasn't sure of what frightened him more - the thought of finding them and knowing it was real, or not finding them and realizing how disturbed his mind was.  
  
There was an innocuous plastic bag just where he remembered placing it. With fumbling fingers, he opened it and saw bloody clothes. His hands shaking he pulled the shirt out. It had dried into a hard ball, so he had to struggle to get it open. But it was there. A large hole about three inches across in both back and front. His fingers went numb and his whole body began to shake. The shirt fell from his fingers. He collapsed to his knees on the floor beside it.  
  
 _It had been real._  


* * *

  
  
Davis resolved to go back to the scene of the "crime." All the evidence he could find spoke the truth of the events of the night before to a person that knew what to look for. He had left himself clues.  
  
He dressed in the uniform he had worn home last night. He would use it as camouflage again as he returned to the hospital. Nobody looked twice at a hospital worker in uniform. He had to see the room again.

* * *

  
  
The room was as clean as he had left it. The only unusual element of the room was that the bed had a missing railing. He had disposed of that last night in the hospital dumpster. He didn't see a pole in the trash as being suspicious as he had cleaned it of all evidence of blood.  
  
Looking at the spotless floor, Davis came to a resolution. Either he was insane or...it was something else.  
  
He hardened his jaw and made his way to the now vacant morgue rooms.  
  
He chose one at random and began unbuttoning his shirt. He had skipped an undershirt in his haste to return to the scene of the crime. it took only seconds before his chest was once again exposed. He fingered over the perfect skin as he had earlier. No trace. No sign.  
  
Was he insane yesterday to have such visions? Was he being insane now?  
  
He couldn't think about it.  
  
He stripped the shirt off his shoulders. He refused to think about what he was going to do. But he had to KNOW.  
  
Tossing the shirt onto the table, he moved around an selected a huge stainless steel knife. It shone softly in the dim light that peeked into the room between the blinds.  
  
His resolve wavered as it caught a particularly sinister yellow glow. He felt bile rise in his throat.  
  
He had to do it now before he lost his nerve.  
  
He turned the knife around so it pointed towards his chest and gripped the handle with both hands. The metal became slick from the moisture of his palms.  
  
He was afraid, but he had to KNOW. Before he was overwhelmed, he stabbed the knife into his chest with all his strength.  
  
With a sound like breaking glass, the metal shattered into a thousand jagged fragments.  
  
He was left holding a blade-less handle.  
  
He stared at it.  
  
Who _or what_ was he?


	32. Chapter 32

Chloe had it all under control - until she didn't.  
  
She had set up the back office of Isis as he own personal crib sheet for the memories that disappeared on her. She wasn't just forgetting things as they happened to her now. She was losing her past. But she was managing just fine. She didn't think anyone noticed how off she was. Yep, she was doing great with her little crib room and blaming the wedding for her distraction. She was FINE. Nothing to be worried about. At least that is what the voice in the back of her mind said. Nothing to be concerned by.  
  
That is until she actually FELT her memory be replaced by...something else.

Jimmy was being incredibly sweet by bringing her breakfast in bed and they had been happily chatting away when he mentioned the engagement party. The thought brought a warm rush of feeling as she remembered that night.  
  
Then IT happened.  
  
She saw the elements of the memory disappear in flashes of some weird symbols. She started to fight as she saw what was happening to her mind. In her memory, she looked up to implore Jimmy to help, but all she saw was a faceless man. Now all she remembered was being surrounded by the weird symbols.  


* * *

  
  
The guy in her bedroom had scared the hell out of Chloe. She believed him now that they knew each other and were apparently engaged, but she was relieved when he left. She didn't know where he had gone and didn't really care.  
  
The voice in the back of her mind kept telling her not to worry. She was FINE, but she refused to be lulled. The flashing symbols that kept running through her head were scaring the hell out of her and drowning out the voice.  
  
Chloe knew where her strengths were for this - doing research. She sat down at the coffee table with her laptop and began investigating memory loss.  
  
It didn't take long to determine that the Medical Library at Metropolis General had an extensive collection of resources and programs about memory loss that weren't available online. She would have to go in person.  
  
She quickly showered, dressed, and left for Metropolis.  
  
She didn't even notice the now-cold breakfast that Jimmy had made was still on the bed.  


* * *

  
  
Davis had been avoiding Chloe for weeks. The shock of the events around his "death" had completely thrown him. He had called out of work for days and scoured the internet for information. Lots of dead ends.  
  
He had thought about calling Chloe to see if anything weird had gone on around her cousin, but decided against it. He didn't want to involve Chloe in whatever _this_ was. Which meant he couldn't try to follow up with Lois either.  
  
He was more and more convinced that whatever had killed him that night wasn't Lois. Maybe it was something that took her form? A meteor person with shape-shifting ability? A meteor power was the best guess he had for his own condition. He didn't know anything about his early childhood, so he _could_ have been exposed. He discounted all the alien and "mother" nonsense Lois had said. It was insane, and being a meteor freak at least made sense. It was terrible, as he had seen from the destruction they could cause, but logical.  
  
Did his meteor power have some link to his blackouts? Was he healing from a terrible, maybe even deadly, wound when he blacked out?  
  
Oddly, he found that thought comforting. That meant that all those times with the blood covering him when he woke, that he was only healing himself.  
  
If that was the case, what kept killing him?  
  
One dark night he decided to test Lois' final haunting comment in hope of an answer - "That which kills you makes you stronger."  
  
He bought several bottles of sleeping pills. He knew that if this didn't work, at least he would go quietly. He took all of them and laid on his bed and let sleep take him away. He felt his heart slow...then stop.  
  
He woke up with a start and a gasp, feeling fresh as a daisy. He had died and come back again.  
  
The next night, he took several more bottles of the pills.  
  
Nothing. He wasn't even drowsy.  
  
Lois was right. Though if this weird resurrection was connected to the blackouts, why did he keep dying without remembering the cause? Was his subconscious mind taking over and pushing his limits?  
  
He had no answers.  
  
Several days after the pills failed, Davis began to wonder if maybe he should reach out to Chloe. He was more and more convinced that his condition truly was a meteor power. Which meant that she was the very best resource there was for understanding what was going on. He smirked to himself. After all, he had helped set her on the path.  
  
Davis didn't even notice he went from thinking his condition "could be" to "was" a meteor power. As a meteor power, it could bring Chloe back into his life.  
  
His heart felt lighter. Since this was a meteor power, then he should be able to control it. Chloe could help him.  
  
If he could control this power, them maybe he could build a normal life and a normal relationship for himself. Especially if that life/relationship involved someone that understood about meteor power.  
  
Yes, that was it. The blackouts were part of his meteor power and he just needed to learn to control it. Then he could have the life he had always wanted...and maybe he could have it with the _person_ he wanted.  
  
His eyes were pulled to the large envelope he had buried under a pile of mail on the counter. The thick, creamy paper addressed in her hand was still unopened. He knew it was a wedding invite.  
  
He pushed the thought of something more with Chloe away. Even if he was able to have that normal life and relationship, Chloe was still engaged to another man. Being a freak did not mean he no longer had to be a good person. In fact, it made that _more_ important. He would be her friend, and that was that.  
  
A sudden thought stopped him cold.  
  
 _What if Chloe had been sent to him?_ What if God saw his struggle, and had finally answered his prayers by sending him help? By sending him his very own angel in Chloe?  
  
He began pacing around his apartment as his thoughts frantically tripped over each other.  
  
All of the coincidences and snap decisions that had brought them together -- had they really been random? Was it just luck that they had finally met that day at the crash, when he had watched her from afar long before that? Was it a coincidence that she opened a clinic to help the meteor-infected just as his condition took such a negative turn? How could she have believed in him so much when it looked like he could be a murderer?  
  
Most of all, that deep connection that kept pulling them towards each other...it couldn't all just be chance, could it?  
  
She had once told him not to make her into a saint, but he had thought she was more of an angel. So what if she really was? Not a literal wings-and-halo angel, but a friend, a guide, a beacon that would help him learn to control his gifts? Maybe even turn them into something good?  
  
He collapsed onto the couch.  
  
It was a lot to take in.  
  
He covered his face with his hands.  
  
Chloe was unlikely to be on the same page as him. She seemed to run whenever she sensed they were getting too close. If what he thought was true, then he would have to broach the subject carefully with her. Maybe start by asking her for help with his power. He could even mention they could help each other. She would help with his powers, and he could help her with Isis. They could do some real good for each other and the world. She wouldn't turn away from that.  
  
Dropping his hands from his face, he grinned hugely. All he needed now was a chance to see her.  
  
Davis glanced at the clock and realized that he needed to get moving. He had a mountain of paperwork he needed to complete before his shift started later this afternoon.  
  
Rising from the couch, he made his way to the bathroom. He would have to contemplate how to reach out to Chloe again.  


* * *

  
  
Davis couldn't believe his luck. Just as he resolved to reach out to Chloe again, there she was at the nurses' desk in his hospital.  
  
God, she was beautiful. The weeks he hadn't seen her had dulled the memory of how she took his breath away. She was casually dressed today, but her smile shone out. His body hardened, belying his resolution to be happy as her friend. She almost walked into him as she left the nurse.  
  
His joy at seeing her had him blurting out the truth. "Hey. I was actually just thinking about you."  
  
He must have surprised her too, but she rather tactlessly blurted out, "Davis. You look exhausted. You pulling more night-after-night shifts?"  
  
 _Yeah, well, dying and coming back to life can have that effect._  
  
Deciding to ease in a bit of truth, he replied, "These days, it's more like _Night of the Living Dead_."  
  
She smiled in an odd way. "Well, careful that the zombies don't try and eat your brain for breakfast. Save yourself. It's a little too late for me."  
  
He had no idea how to reply to that, but she took his silence as some sort of criticism.  
  
"I was supposed to look into your past. Davis, I'm sorry. I've just been overwhelmed lately."  
  
Oh, yeah. After the crazy stuff that Lois had spouted, he decided that he really didn't want to know anything about his family. He had his answer now for the blackouts.  
  
To put her at ease, he told her, "Actually, I was thinking about it. I'd rather you just cancel the whole thing altogether. I decided to let the past rest in peace."  
  
She had an odd expression again. Kind of trapped?  
  
Ignoring it, he decided to plow on while he had her here.  
  
"But there's something else, Chloe, something I've been thinking about since the day we met..."  
  
Sounding harried, she interrupted him. "You know what, Davis, I would really love to hear what you have to say, honestly, but now is just not a good time." Then she walked past him quickly towards the elevators.  
  
Davis was terribly confused. That was very out of character for Chloe. "Got it."  
  
He watched her press the button for the elevator, her every muscle radiating anxiety. He took a stab at the reason. "Is everything okay with you and Jimmy?"  
  
She looked blank as she replied, "Jimmy?" It was almost as if she had no idea who he was talking about.  
  
Now Davis was the confused one.  
  
Finally, something must have registered, because she finally said, "Jimmy? Oh, right --uh, fiancé. Yeah." That trapped look was back too. And maybe fear?  
  
 _Well, that is...interesting._  
  
 _Could this be a good thing for him? Could things be falling apart between Jimmy and Chloe?_  
  
He decided to take another stab in case he was right. But carefully, so he could have an out if he was misreading the signs. "You've been there for me a lot lately. If you ever need anything, I'm right here for you." He tried to sound earnest, but he thought he may have sounded a bit too hopeful.  
  
Again, she acted strangely. She smiled and gave an unconvincing little laugh. "The truth is, my brain's just a little fried -- literally." The bell for the elevator dinged. "I'll talk to you later." She backed into the open elevator.  
  
Her strange behavior had him taking another step forward. He was getting pretty concerned now. She seemed so off.  
  
Pushing the button inside for her floor, she turned around and gave him a wide but unconvincing smile. He suddenly realized he must look like he was about to stalk her into the elevator. Not knowing what else to do, he gave her a little wave as the doors closed.  
  
Feeling like a total idiot, he rolled his eyes and puffed out his breath. He hadn't felt that awkward with a girl since he was in middle school. How the hell had that come about? He was supposed to have a plan, dammit!  
  
Turning away from the elevator, he moved back through the hospital. Paperwork still called, and now he would need another plan.


	33. Chapter 33

Davis started going through his mountain of paperwork. The first file was for another heart-attack patient. A lot of the paperwork could be done by rote so he let his mind wander.  
  
 _What had been going on with Chloe earlier? Why had she been acting so strange? Was it only what she said and she was frazzled?_

Davis didn't think so. Her reaction to him mentioning Jimmy was too distant. Like Jimmy was the very last thing on her mind. If it was wedding nerves, he would think that Jimmy would be at the top of her thoughts. Had things gone south with Jimmy and she was already pulling herself free?  
  
He thought that was probably just wishful thinking.  
  
 _Should he say something to her?_ Probably not with how she had been earlier. He wanted to make sure he had her full attention.  
  
He closed the heart attack patient file and grabbed the next one from the stack.  
  
The patient was named Darcy Bennett. He guessed her parents must have been big fans of Pride and Prejudice. He had read it in high school, because it seemed like a favorite book of girls. He wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  
  
A random connection sprang to mind.  
  
In the book, Elizabeth and Darcy had some sort of fight and Darcy wrote her a letter that changed her mind. Could he do something similar with Chloe? Could he write her a letter about everything he felt and saw between them and make her understand?  
  
He finished the file and looked at the still-huge stack. He glanced at the clock. He had hours yet until his shift started. He should be able to complete all the files before it began.  
  
Or he could deliver a letter to Chloe's apartment in Smallville.  
  
There was no contest.  
  
He scooped up the pile of untouched files and put them back on the nurses' office in the "To Be Processed" bin. He dropped the two he finished in the "Complete" bin.  
  
Grabbing an envelope and pad of paper he wrote her a letter.  
  
 _Chloe,_  
  
In only a few days I know you are supposed to marry Jimmy. If that will make you happy, then I want nothing more in the entire world.  
  
But I hope you hear me out first.  
  
I have some serious issues that make it hard to know me, but since that first day, I've felt like you do. Being bounced around and losing parts of my life make it hard for me to connect. To feel things are REAL, but with you they do. I feel grounded around you.  
  
This may sound crazy, but I think you may have been sent to me.  
  
I think that is why we trust each other so easily. You never believed for a second I could be a killer, even after I opened up to you about that blackouts. I didn't hold anything back with you, and you still saw the best in me. I never felt like I could open up about the full extent of my condition before I met you. I think you felt the same when you told me about your super-smarts even when you couldn't tell Jimmy.  
  
I think we were meant to help each other.  
  
I've spent my whole life trying to help people, to make the world a bit better. But with you, I think I could finally be the person I always wanted to be. I think that with you, I could learn to control this power and become a better for it. You bring out the very best in me.  
  
For you, I'll always be here in any way you need. I'll be your friend, partner, confidant, whatever you want.  
  
So walk down that aisle if that is what you want, but that won't change anything for me. You will still be my saving grace and maybe, if you let me, I can be yours.  
  
\--Davis  
  
  
He carefully folded the letter and put it into the envelope. Without further thought, he made his way out to his car. Grabbing the GPS, he did a search for "The Talon" in Smallville. He remembered Chloe saying she lived in an apartment above the coffee shop. He was on the road before the GPS had finished calculating.  


* * *

  
  
  
It felt like no time at all before Davis pulled in front of The Talon. Walking in the door, he asked one of the waitresses where the apartment attached to the shop was located. She helpfully pointed up a set of stairs leading to a balcony.  
  
Davis' belly was full of butterflies he couldn't quite quiet down. She wouldn't even be there. He would just slide the letter through the mail slot or under the door or whatever. So why was he so anxious? Was it because he had come to her turf? Was it the enormity of laying out so much of his feelings in the letter? There was really only one part he had kept out. He hadn't put in that he loved her. If she did decide to go through with the wedding, that would only handicap their relationshstiBefore he could talk himself out of it, he crossed the room and sprang up the stairs.  
  
Standing before the bright blue door, he took a breath to steel himself. He crouched down to slide the letter through the mail slot.  
  
The door opened suddenly.  
  
Davis froze. Looking up, he met Jimmy's confused eyes.  
  
 _Dammit! Why didn't I realize that they probably lived together!_ He ignored the voice that said, "Because you didn't want to..."  
  
Deciding to brazen it out, Davis stepped forward and into the apartment. The very confused Jimmy stepped aside.  
  
Looking around curiously, the first thing that caught Davis' attention was the large pile of wedding gifts on the table by the door. He decided to ignore them and looked around the rest of the space. It seemed very Chloe. The colors were bright and feminine. It looked very lived in. He didn't really see anything that said "Jimmy." It was all Chloe.  
  
As he looked around, Jimmy started talking. "Uh, is that your RSVP? Because there's a little thing called a stamp that would have saved you a trip."  
  
Davis chuckled a bit to himself at that. _Yeah, lack of a stamp. That is why I drove all the way out here._  
  
Not seeing Davis' amusement, Jimmy continued, "Um, look, I'm sorry. I can't stick around, and Chloe's not here, so..."  
  
Thinking quickly, Davis decided to follow up on his earlier suspicion. He would see if there was trouble between Chloe and Jimmy. He tried to push the hope away as he asked, "Yeah, I ran into her in the city. Your name came up, and she acted kind of weird. Is everything okay?"  
  
 _Please say no, please say no..._  
  
"Yeah, sure. No, it's just a little temporary detour on our way down the aisle." Jimmy's voice was full of such love and sincerity, that Davis had to see his expression. He had to know if his vain hope really was dead.  
  
Looking at the friendly boy-man, Davis spoke the words even as they crushed him, "You really love her... don't you?"  
  
Jimmy glowed with love and joy for the woman who would be his wife in a matter of days. "Yeah. Like Sinatra said -- 'She's all I long for, all I worship and adore.' You know what I mean?"  
  
Just like that, Davis' hope withered and died. He sighed heavily. The hope of a future of MORE with Chloe gone just as quickly as it had come. Davis wasn't a Sinatra fan, but the sentiment was perfect. That was exactly how Davis felt about Chloe.  
  
"Yeah, I do." Knowing how things would play out from here, Davis pulled himself together. "I-I'm just sorry that I-I won't be able to make it."  
  
He still wasn't strong enough to see her bind her life to another man.  
  
Jimmy looked vaguely disappointed, but quickly smiled again. "Oh. Well, you know, unlike some of my extended family, I'm not gonna enjoy putting your reply card in the regrets pile." Jimmy extended his hand for the envelope that Davis still held.  
  
There was too much of himself in that letter. He couldn't give it over. After talking with Jimmy, something about the letter now felt vaguely wrong. Like he was trying to steal Chloe away, or like some sort of emotional cheating.  
  
He stuffed the envelope into his pocket and ignored Jimmy's hand.  
  
"Oh, no, I'm sorry that I won't be there, but, uh... could you do me a favor? Would you mind just telling Chloe for me?"  
  
He couldn't see her again. He would have to find a way to control this on his own. And maybe he should let Chloe do the same. Looking at Jimmy's earnest face, Davis knew he had to say goodbye. That was what was right. His dreams of them working together were just that -- dreams.  
  
Jimmy didn't even know the import of the moment as he replied, "Yeah, yeah. No, that's -- that's no problem."  
  
As snippets of the life that would never be flashed through his head -- dinners with Chloe at Isis as they work late on a case, embracing a kid who they helped and meeting Chloe's glowing eyes, laughing at the bar as she sang another terrible karaoke song surrounded by friends -- Davis walked towards the door. He knew this was a defining moment. The moment he gave up on Chloe.  
  
He turned back to face Jimmy, "She's an amazing girl. Take care of her."  
  
Then he left.  
  
His sense of warmth and strength for doing the right thing lasted until he got to his car. Then the dam broke. His shattered dreams and the strength he had built up came tumbling down. She hadn't been sent to him. She wasn't here to rescue him. He had just been kidding himself. He wept brokenly.  


* * *

  
  
Eventually, Davis pulled himself back together. He had to get back on the road.  
  
He would do what he had always done -- bury his pain by helping others. So he had to get back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit  
> Credit must go to mokonahapuuuuuu for writing "Save Me From Myself" ON FF.net. It was a great inspiration and gave me some ideas for my own letter.


	34. Chapter 34

Cloe paged through the books that she had grabbed from the medical library at Met Gen. Nothing she read was helping. She hadn't really thought it would, but she stubbornly refused to accept what she knew to be the truth. She wouldn't even think it. COULDN'T even think it.  
  
Hearing Clark's voice, she stashed the book away.  
  
With his usual subtlety, Clark barged in and dove right in. "Chloe. Hey, I've been looking all over for you. Look, Jimmy says that you're forgetting things -- that this morning, you didn't even recognize him."

_Oh, no._ The last thing she wanted was Clark chasing after this. Clark would just go off all half-cocked again, like he always did. She didn't want him getting wrapped up with Brainiac again. She would be FINE, if she could just figure this out. She was sure she could, if she just had more time.  
  
Hoping to defuse him, she chuckled. "Jimmy's overreacting."  
  
Not to be so easily settled, Clark shot back, "So you do know who he is?"  
  
Thinking at the bit she just seen on her crib wall, she responded lightly. "Of course! Jimmy Olsen -- reddish hair, cute smile, photographer, likes to wear bowling shirts."  
  
"What about "fiancé"?"  
  
 _Crap!_ "Yeah. Right. We begin our lives together Saturday at 6:00."  
  
She knew she failed at convincing him right away. He confirmed her fears.  
  
"Chloe, it sounds like you're reading this all off a list. Are you sure everything's okay?"  
  
 _That was way too close to the truth._  
  
So she decided to use the ploy that hadn't failed her yet. Talking about the wedding. She had seen how that could make mens' eyes glaze over almost as well as talking about shoe shopping.  
  
"I'm just...distracted, you know? I mean, the last-minute wedding plans."  
  
"Why did you close the bookcase when I walked in?" Clark asked in reply.  
  
 _Wow, he really must be an alien to withstand that. Maybe I really should have gone with shoe talk instead..._  
  
"Research. Client/therapist privilege." She felt her eyes begin to burn. _No! Do NOT cry! No way you will be able to keep him out of this if you start to cry!_  
  
He spotted her little recorder on the table and reached for it. She swiped it before him. The small distraction gave her a second to reset. She changed tactics slightly, going back to wedding talk. "No, Clark. Please, just don't. Okay? I'm really busy right now. I-I still need to pick the place settings. I mean, who knew there were 90 ways to fold the napkin?"  
  
Without another word, he spun around and pulled the doors to the hidden door apart. And just like that, she looked insane. The walls of the back room were papered with notes and photos and tidbits of information about her life. Pictures and more data flashed on a loop on all the monitors. It was almost her whole life boiled down to the essentials and posted in the tiny room.  
  
It might have been sad as well as crazy if Chloe knew how much was missing from those walls.  
  
Looking around the room at all of it, Clark had on his thinking/judging face.  
  
She still foolishly hoped to stem the tide. "Clark, please -- Okay, I know this looks a little weird."  
  
"What's going on, Chloe?"  
  
"Jimmy's right. I have been... drawing a few blanks." _That didn't sound so bad, did it?_  
  
"A few?" he asked in what passed for a sarcastic voice with Clark.  
  
"Well, y-yeah. But I've just been kind of using this as Chloe Sullivan's crib sheet. And whenever I forget someone --like, you know, my fiancé -- I come here to remind myself of how we're connected." _That sounds perfectly reasonable. Why doesn't everyone do this?_  
  
Moving around to face her, Clark said, "Chloe, listen to what you're saying. You had to paste your entire life on these walls. There's something seriously wrong with you."  
  
"I still remember you," she said happily.  
  
Then Clark dropped his ultimate weapon -- puppy dog eyes.  
  
That look finally broke her. The wall of FINE came crashing down. She was _NOT_ FINE. She was so far from fine, it wasn't even in the same galaxy. She didn't understand how things had gotten this bad. How had she been able to delude herself this long?  
  
She was finally able to confess all. "And that's about all I remember. I've forgotten almost everyone, Clark. And I'm having to fake my feelings more and more with people." Clark kept looking at her with concern, letting her get it all out. "Pretty soon, there isn't going to be any 'I, Chloe.' Just... an I.Q."  
  
That voice in her head that had been telling her everything was FINE, started to laugh. The voice now had Milton Fine's voice. Brainiac no longer even bothered trying to soothe her. He knew he was winning.  
  
Clark jumped right on the truth. "We both know what's happening to you."  
  
As Brainiac's laughter echoed in her head, Chloe couldn't deny the truth any more. She couldn't be soothed down again. She said the words for the first time out loud, said them for the first time in her head. "I'm being taken over by Brainiac."


	35. Chapter 35

Chloe didn't know how she had gotten to the loft of the Kent barn when the clock said she had just been in Metropolis fifteen minutes ago. But Clark said he was going to find help for her memory problem, and one of the few things she remembered was that she always trusted Clark.  
  
Removing her jacket, she picked up the yearbook and sat down in the chair. At least she did still remember this place. She began to page through the yearbook. It just made her sad. It was full of events and people she didn't remember. She sighed and pushed the book away. Then she heard someone climbing the stairs and lept up. _Thank God! Clark was back!_  
  
But it wasn't Clark. It was that guy from this morning. _What was his name again?_

"Hey. Chloe. It's me. It's...Jimmy. I brought some more pictures of us, in case you still couldn't... place my face." He looked very sincere and worried as he clutched a photo album.  
  
Nothing. She felt nothing. Remembered nothing. Just these weird symbols in her mind. They sent her heartbeat racing, but she had to fake being ok.  
  
"Hey, Jimmy. I remember who you are."  
  
She smiled in a way she hoped was warm and happy, though all she felt was terror.  
  
It must have worked, because he looked hopeful. "You recognize me?"  
  
 _Oh, right! This was her fiance. Ok, good, you can work with that._  
  
"Sorry about the attack of the Bridezilla this morning."  
  
She must have said the right thing, because he rushed towards her and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh. I thought that I'd really lost you."  
  
She tried to react. She really did, but her body wouldn't obey her. Didn't she used to have really excellent power over her body before? Something weird about her heart? The thought tickled for a moment and then disappeared into the symbols. She woodenly moved her arms up, but her eyes frantically sought escape.  
  
He must have finally realized something was wrong. He slowly pulled away. She knew that her confusion and fear showed plain on her face.  
  
Looking at her, he said in a heavy voice, "You're not feeling the love, are you?"  
  
She decided to stop trying to make it better and just gave him the truth. She didn't want to bring any pain to this nice guy, so she turned away so she couldn't see him. "The truth is, I'm not really feeling much of anything for anyone these days. It's like a bunch of random Facebook profiles. I mean, Clark is one of the few friends that I actually have memories of still."  
  
She also remembered Davis, but he wasn't here.  
  
"I figured you would have forgot something about him before you lost all your memories about the guy you're about to marry."  
  
 _Him? Davis? Oh, wait, no. Jimmy meant Clark._ They had been talking about Clark. Again something tickled in her mind. Like that should be a significant comment for some reason. Jealousy maybe? Something more? She tried to snatch at the memory scraps, but they turned to glowing symbols as she caught them. A strange voice laughed in her head.  
  
Continuing, Jimmy said, "But the most important thing is that you don't have total amnesia."  
  
"Yet." That phantom laugh had her unnerved. She wasn't ready to look for a good thing.  
  
"Chloe, you need to see a doctor. I made an appointment for you this afternoon with one of the best neurologists in Metropolis."  
  
That felt wrong somehow.  
  
"Clark told me to wait here for him while he went to get help."  
  
"No. No, I don't know why he left you here alone, but we're gonna get you some real help." It made more sense than waiting in the barn, but they were talking about Clark. Clark who had always been there. Clark, who she remembered.  
  
"He said to trust him."  
  
Holding onto the book, Jimmy implored her, "Pictures. They can't remind you of emotions, but they don't lie, either. Look at these." Page after page of Jimmy and her, looking happy. "There was a time when you trusted me enough to marry me. Please, Chloe. Trust me now."  
  
She didn't trust him. She didn't know him. But she was scared and alone, and she didn't know where Clark had gone, and this didn't make any sense.  
  
Jimmy kept imploring her with his eyes, so she gave in.  
  
"Ok. I'll go with you."  


* * *

  
  
The car ride to Metropolis had Chloe seriously reconsidering her decision to leave the comfort of the barn. She looked out the window at miles of farmland that she didn't remember. At least the loft had been cozy and still familiar.  
  
Jimmy kept up an endless stream of chatter and jumped from song to song on the iPod connected to the car, telling her that they were all her favorites. He talked about their lives together and how they met, and their plans for the wedding.  
  
It was all meaningless. After a while, she just tuned it out and dully sank into a mindless haze.  


* * *

  
  
She was infinitely relieved when they reached the hospital. Jimmy took over the paperwork, since she couldn't remember any of the information. The nurse was brisk but friendly as she directed Chloe to a room where she could change into a hospital gown for an MRI. Jimmy's neurologist had ordered the scan for right before their appointment.  
  
The MRI tech had a nice Australian accent as he explained about the MRI and how it worked. Surprisingly, she did feel a lot calmer now. The doctor had felt very competent, and she felt like he could help her. As she lay back on the padding of the MRI table, she felt almost happy as she asked, "Got any advice for an MRI rookie?"  
  
He had already told her it would be close and noisy. So he just smiled and told her, "It won't take long. Your best bet --just close your eyes and think of a place that makes you happy." He smiled again. "All right."  
  
So she did what he recommended. She had limited options with most of her memory gone, but there was one place where she had always felt safe and happy since the eighth grade. With Clark. Preferably in his arms. Her crush had been of such long standing, that it was one of the few connections that was still left.  
  
 _Kissing Clark in the records room to avoid getting caught breaking in._  
  
Flash - symbols.  
  
 _Re-enacting a torrid kiss in the elevator with Clark._  
  
Flash. Flash -- Symbols.  
  
 _That almost-kiss with Clark at the Spring Formal._  
  
Flash. Flash. Flash -- Symbols.  
  
Then they were at the beginning again. The first time she had been up to his loft in the barn. The first time she had ever kissed him. The first time she was a coward, and said they should just be friends. Even so, it was the start of a friendship that had lasted longer than anything else in her life. It was an infinitely precious memory.  
  
Only a few were greater, a dark-haired, brown-eyed man in a towel. That same man singing to her about saving him. Davis. She quickly pushed the memories away before the symbols could take them. She thought that memories of Clark must still be safe since she still seemed to have them. So she would stay here, and keep the other ones securely locked away.  
  
When pieces of that first time in Clark's loft began to be taken over, she went into full panic. She lept into another memory of Clark. The first one that came to mind. Dark Thursday. Clark had kissed her on Dark Thursday. Was that the only time? But the symbols followed her here too. The wall exploded out into a stream of those glowing green symbols. She grabbed Clark's hand and dragged him away from the wall. No! Not Clark! The memory was falling apart faster than she could get them away. She flung herself into Clark's arms and held on for dear life. "I can't lose you, Clark."  
  
Setting her back, he said, "Chloe, I'll never leave you."  
  
But he lied.  
  
Clark was ripped away into the symbols. Flashes of other memories of Clark following him into the darkness with flashes of green.  
  
Chloe was left standing alone in blackness. The world resolved around her again. She was in...an office? It was hard to tell. There were few lights. A figure moved in an adjoining room.  
  
This wasn't a memory. What the hell was this?  
  
A symbol skittered, but the room stayed intact.  
  
She felt a tingle of fear. She didn't know anything anymore.  
  
Curiosity finally outweighed fear and she moved towards the figure. The figure resolved itself in Davis.  
  
 _Davis._  
  
"Davis?" she said aloud, just because she was so surprised and pleased to know him in this strange place.  
  
She knew who he was! She had no idea where they were, or why they were here, but she knew Davis.  
  
He was dressed all in black. In a suit actually. That was kind of odd for him.  
  
Finally reaching her, he said in that wonderful deep voice of his, "Hey Chloe."  
  
He reached out a hand to her. She looked down at it. It felt like a question, but she wasn't sure what it was. Looking back at him, she asked with her eyes what this meant.  
  
He just looked at her. His eyes were warm and hypnotic.  
  
That one symbol flashed again, but she didn't feel any sense of loss. It wasn't green either. It felt more like...punctuation. Like a part of the memory and not something taking it over.  
  
She was held mesmerized by Davis' eyes. Without conscious thought, her hand extended to meet his. She still didn't know what the question was, but her answer was _YES._  
  
As he took her hand in his, his thumb moved over her knuckles and a warmth suffused her. It was wonderful.  
  
The warmth grew and grew, until it was an inferno in her head. She was jerked out of the happy dream and back to reality. Alarms were going off and her head was screaming.  
  
Some guy was yelling at her. "Ms. Sullivan, are you okay?"  
  
A woman was there too. "Aah! What happened?"  
  
"I don't know. Her brain waves spiked as soon as she went in, and then the machine went haywire."  
  
God, her head hurt! And these two yelling around her didn't help.  
  
She finally opened her eyes and looked around. She didn't recognize anything. "What's going on? Where am I?"  
  
The man replied, "You're in the hospital. You don't remember?"  
  
She latched onto the only thing she knew.  
  
"I don't remember anything but Davis. I have to find Davis."  
  
"Who is Davis?" the man in the hospital coat asked.  
  
"Davis Bloome."  
  
The woman jumped in, "The ambulance driver? The good-looking one?"  
  
Glad to have someone that knew him, Chloe gripped the woman's arm. "Yes! Where is he? Where can I find him?"  
  
The woman tried to pull away, but Chloe held her fast. Chloe knew that she was frightening the woman, but dammit this was urgent!  
  
"I-I think he would be at the ambulance dock. He is just starting his shift."  
  
Chloe lept from the MRI table and dashed out of the room. Luckily, there was a dressing room connected to it. She grabbed what she assumed to be her clothes and dashed out into the hall. She didn't want to be caught before she could find Davis. She saw a bathroom at the end of the hallway and ducked in just as she heard the man and woman from the MRI room calling her name.  
  
She dressed quickly and stuffed the hospital gown in the conveniently provided bin. She pressed her ear to the door, but the search must have moved on because she heard nothing. Leaving the bathroom, Chloe tried to act casual as she followed the signs to the ambulance dock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Night and day
> 
> There was another discontinuity issue in this episode. The scene of the outside of Met Gen is night when it had just been day and was day again in the next shot. So I'm going to ignore it and keep everything daytime.


	36. Chapter 36

_Davis!_  
  
Chloe was so happy to have finally found a link she called his name across the parking lot full of emergency vehicles. He was just packing up his ambulance.   
  
He turned towards her with his beautiful, warm smile. "Hey, Chloe."  
  
Davis was here. Davis would help her. That was what he _did_ , after all. She raced towards him and leapt into this arms. She clung to him in a confusing mix of joy, pain, bewilderment, fear, and relief.

With his familiar humor, but still holding her, he said, "You might want to loosen that up. I don't tie tourniquets this tight."  
  
She pulled away slightly though she kept contact with him. He was her only link to her life. She wouldn't let him slip away too.  
  
Davis would help. Davis would fix whatever was wrong with her. Davis would keep her safe. She said his name over and over in her mind, clinging to it.   
  
_Davis. Davis. Davis._  
  
"I'm in trouble, Davis. I need your help."  
  
His concern was immediate.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
She couldn't hold the dam back any longer. Now that she was with him, she let the fear and anguish forth.   
  
"No. I'm nowhere near okay. I'm completely lost. I don't even know my own zip code or who my parents are. I can't remember anything but my own name and _you_."  
  
Spinning her around gently, he helped her to sit on the open back of his ambulance. He went into full EMT mode, just like he had done before for...someone else. The slick green symbols that consumed the areas of the memory that were not Davis sent a new height of fear through her. She went into full fight or flight mode and began breathing heavily in panic.  
  
"Okay. Just relax and breathe. Were you in an accident?" he asked.  
  
Taking quick stock of her body in response to his question, she answered him, "I don't know. I don't think so. No. No, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and I'm not in any pain." She met his reassuring, _familiar_ eyes. "I just --my memory's M.I.A."  
  
"Yeah, but how do you know who I am?"  
  
"I don't know. I just do. But you're the only one. It's like you've become my entire world." He was. There was nothing else except the symbols.  
  
He reached forward and grasped her hand in his solid, reassuring way. But his next words sent her into another wave of panic.  
  
"Listen, Chloe, we should call your friends." He pulled her to her feet, but didn't release her.   
  
_No! It was too much!_   
  
She was in full panic mode and tears lept to her eyes.  
  
"No, no, no! I can't remember any of my friends! Davis, I don't trust anyone but you! I'm so scared. What's happening to me?"  
  
"Don't worry, Chloe. You're safe now." Then he took her into his arms again, and she believed him.  
  
She sighed heavily as some of the panic lessened. "Thank you."  
  
"It's like I said this morning -- I will always, always, be there for you."  
  
She released another heavy breath as his words flowed over her. The tears that had been brimming finally fell in a gentle fall that held more of relief than pain now.  
  
They stood like that a long time as Chloe cried. Davis rubbed his hands soothingly up and down her back and she clutched his neck. Her tears slowly stopped. Chloe released her frantic grip and let her head drop to his shoulder. The hug turned from one of desperation to one of warmth. She felt warm and safe and almost happy standing in the circle of his arms. They had hugged before, her limited memory supplied, but this felt somehow different. She wasn't ready for it to end when Davis slowly began to pull away.  
  
Leaning back, Davis moved his hands up to her face and brushed his thumbs along the drying tracks of her earlier tears. He gazed at her in that intent, all-consuming way he had. She thought he might kiss her. Her eyes flicked to the beautiful bow of his mouth. Chloe leaned forward, seeking the connection. She wanted something more, something real, to fill the holes of her memory.  
  
Clearing his throat, Davis pulled away suddenly, leaving Chloe feeling bereft.  
  
Chloe's arms dropped to her sides. She didn't know what to do now without the circle of Davis' arms.  
  
Seeing her distress, Davis reached a hand out and Chloe happily grasped onto it. He wasn't abandoning her. He began leading her around to the cab of the ambulance. He opened the passenger door for her, motioning for her to get in.  
  
A new wave of panic shot through her. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Somewhere safe. Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you."  
  
She fought down the rising panic. "Ok." After she had climbed up into the passenger seat, Davis gently closed the door behind her. She expected to hear the back of the rig close, but instead she heard Davis leap up into the back. "What are you doing?" she asked through the window to the back.   
  
"Just stowing my gear."  
  
"Oh, ok." She turned around and secured the seatbelt.  
  
A moment later she heard the back door close and Davis made his way around to the driver's side. As he settled himself in, she scooted to the edge of her seat to be closer to him. The nearly two feet between them felt like a vast distance.  
  
Chloe tried to think of somewhere safe and came to an immediate conclusion. "Are we going to your apartment?"  
  
Davis reached across and gripped her hand again. Touching him made her feel a bit better. He grounded her.  
  
"We need to make a stop first, but don't worry. I'll keep you safe. No one will hurt you."  
  
She tried to feel reassured. She wished they were going straight to his apartment. She had small fragments of the space in her memory and she was desperate for the familiar.  
  
Davis had to release her hand to start the ambulance. Missing the contact, she reached across and placed a hand on his thigh, even though it was an awkward stretch. She wasn't willing to give up touching him if she could help it.  
  
As the ambulance pulled out of the lot and made its way onto the highway, Chloe's mental exhaustion finally hit her. She fell into an uncomfortable doze where green symbols chased her all around the darkness while a frightening voice echoed from the shadows.


	37. Chapter 37

Davis looked across at the dozing Chloe. She was making little whimpers in her sleep as her hand alternately clutched into his thigh.  
  
A wave of tenderness for this small, frightened girl washed over him. She looked absolutely childlike. It sent a wave of protectiveness through him.  
  
Her words haunted him -- _I can't remember anything but my own name and you. But you're the only one. It's like you've become my entire world. Davis, I don't trust anyone but you!_  
  
He wanted to take her back to his apartment and shelter her from the whole world. He would hold her, and care for her until she was strong again. He would kiss away her tears and stroke away her fear.  
  
But she wasn't his to care for.

Which was why they were on the road to Smallville, and not holed up in his apartment.  
  
 _She isn't yours to care for._  
  
He had to keep reminding himself of that.  
  
When she had been gazing at his lips, it was all he could do to pull away. Chloe was in his arms, wanting him to kiss her. He had countless dreams of that moment. It was a cruel twist of fate that when it finally happened, it was when she was so broken. It would have been like taking advantage of her. Like now.  
  
She had no way of knowing that her hand on his thigh was nearly driving him to distraction. He was hard with the wanting of her. His body didn't respect that even though this was Chloe, she wasn't to be his. His manhood twitched and lept with every shift of her fingers.  
  
When she had come racing across the lot and threw herself into his arms, it had felt like a sign from God. Just as he had told her goodbye in his heart, she came rushing to him. It felt like God was telling him that he wasn't supposed to let her go. But when she told him she was in trouble, that she had no memory, he knew it wasn't right. He had to get her back to Jimmy. The man she loved and who so obviously loved her in return.  
  
It was the right thing to do.  
  
Chloe whimpered again and he glanced over at her. Her brows were drawn together in pain as she fidgeted in her uneasy sleep. He made gentle shushing noises and rubbed her hand where it clutched at his thigh. She drifted into an easier sleep.  
  
Right now Davis _really_ hated the right thing.  


* * *

 

 

Davis parked in front of The Talon for the second time that day. The surcease of movement had Chloe jolting awake. Her eyes were wild with fear.

"Where are we?" Her eyes were darting with fear around the Smallville street which should have been familiar.

Turning to face her in the cab, he took her hands in both of his. Her eyes stopped darting and settled on his face. Her breathing was still fast and he could see the pulse beating wildly in her throat.

He gave her a moment of just holding her eyes and her hands to get herself back under control before answering her. He spoke soothingly, treating her like a wild animal that had unexpectedly come to hand.

"It's ok, Chloe. We just need to stop in this coffee shop for a moment." He nodded towards The Talon. "I'll be with you."

She searched his face. "Then we will go back to your apartment? You'll let me stay with you?" She spoke like she was telling him how it would be, not like she was asking.

Davis was glad to see some of her strength returning. It made her seem less broken.

Maybe he wouldn't need the sedative injection that he had slipped into this pocket earlier.

"I'll make sure you are safe, Chloe."

He knew that he hadn't actually answered her demand/question, but she accepted his reply as an affirmative. He squeezed her hands again reassuringly and released them. He opened the door and climbed out of the cab. Chloe stayed in the ambulance and looked at the coffee shop suspiciously. He quirked a smile. He could see her mind trying to puzzle out why they were here. The smile skittered away when he knew that she was coming up with a blank where there shouldn't be.

He hoped either Clark or Jimmy was at the apartment. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get Chloe back here again. He balked at the thought of inviting either of the other two men to his apartment to find Chloe. It felt like the location of his home was a secret just between him and Chloe.

He opened the passenger side door and offered a hand to Chloe. She accepted it and stepped down, still with a puzzled expression at the building.

He spotted her purse on the floor. He knew it was incredibly invasive, but he didn't have another choice. He released Chloe's hand and picked up the purse. He felt her hand shift to his arm, so they remained in contact. He opened the front pocket of the purse looking for...Bingo! Keys!

Palming the keys, he moved so that Chloe could wind her arm with his.

He suppressed the wash of pain. Here he was walking arm-in-arm with Chloe and it was to deliver her to another man. What sort of twist of fate was that?

He used the keys and opened the front door of the shop. Sensing something wrong, Chloe pressed herself closer to him.

As they entered the coffee shop, Chloe looked around at the empty space. "I think they're closed."

Just then, Clark cam tromping down from the apartment. Clark spotted them as soon as her reached the bottom of the stairs. "Chloe!"

Chloe startled back from Clark and gripped Davis' arm with both of hers. She held onto Davis in obvious fear.

Clark was perceptive enough to see the problem instantly. Clark put one hand out in a soothing way, like he was trying to calm a skittish horse. "You don't recognize me, do you? Listen, it's okay. You live here, upstairs. It's your apartment."

Chloe wasn't interested in anything Clark had to say. She turned to Davis with an accusing voice. "Why did you bring me here? You promised I could stay with _you_!"

He met her eyes and told her firmly, "Chloe, it's okay. Clark is one of your best friends." He willed her to believe it, for something to spark.

His hopes were dashed. "But I only remember _you_." Her voice lost its firmness and turned afraid again.

He tried to reassure her. "It's okay. You're safe. Trust me."

Just then the apartment door slammed and Jimmy came racing down the steps. "Clark, I thought that I heard --" Spotting her, he stopped mid-sentence. "Chloe..."

Chloe looked at Jimmy without a hint of recognition as he slowly walked down the rest of the stairs. Then moving quickly, he rushed towards her, "I am so glad to see you."

It was more than Chloe could handle. She thrust out her hand in an unconscious "stop" motion and turned as if to run. Davis was afraid this would happen and had moved his arm up behind her, stopping her from darting away. He reached into his pocket for the syringe. He had hoped this wouldn't be necessary, but he didn't have another choice.

"I don't know who you are!" she cried.

Clark tried to help. "This is Jimmy. He's your fiancé."

That did it. Davis' arm blocking or not, she was going to run. She spun around for the door. Catching her, Davis deftly plunged the syringe into her neck and pressed the plunger. She collapsed seconds later. He pulled the needle out as she fell into Jimmy's arms.

The little boy-man angrily shouted at Davis. "Chloe. What did you just do to her?!" Jimmy lifted Chloe's unconscious body into his arms and turned away.

_Ungrateful little bastard._

Davis was tempted to take her back, but he had already committed to doing the "right thing" and returning her to her fiancé.

Instead he explained. "She has full-blown amnesia. I-I thought she was gonna run again. I brought a sedative just in case."

Now it was Clark's turn to accuse him of misdeeds it seemed. "Any idea why she remembers you?"

"No, but lucky for us, she did. When she found me, she was scared out of her mind." That caught Jimmy's attention from where he was gazing at the sleeping Chloe now resting limply on a chair. "I thought if she saw you, it would jump-start her memory."

Jimmy finally seemed to realize that Davis was trying to help. His eyes held sincerity as he softly told Davis, "Thank you for bringing her home."

Seeing Chloe's unconscious form pulled at Davis. He had to leave now, or he never would. "It's no problem. This is where she belongs. Looks like she's in good hands. Call me if you need me."

Davis quickly turned to leave. He clenched his jaw and felt a muscle leaping in his cheek.

He _was_ doing the right thing -- _right_??


	38. Chapter 38

Chloe heard a regular beep going and felt a pinchy feeling in her arm and shifted on the bed. Opening her eyes, she saw she was in a hospital room. Rolling her head, she saw Jimmy sleeping on the side of the bed with his head pillowed on his arms. She smiled fondly and stroked his hair. Her touch roused him and he lifted his head to look at her.  
  
His worried eyes met hers. "Chloe?" He sounded hopeful.  
  
She smiled. "Morning, handsome."  
  
"You know me?"  
  
She grinned. "Yes."

He let out a whoop of joy and pulled her to him. She grimaced as he jostled the IV in her arm. Clark came rushing into the room.  
  
Looking over Jimmy's shoulder as he held onto her, she met Clark's eyes. "Clark!" she cried joyfully.  
  
He gave her that wonderful heart-stopping smile of his.  
  
Jimmy finally released her. "What happened? How is your memory? Are you ok?"  
  
She laughed and held his hands. "Slow down, tiger. I'm fine. I feel much better."  
  
Chloe began scrolling through her memory. She knew faces and names. She knew her past...wait. Did she? There were still weird blank spots. She remembered doing things, but she didn't always recall why. She felt her brow knit in consternation and saw worried expressions come across both their faces. She quickly smiled and pushed the thought away. She didn't need to worry them again. At least the symbols were gone. The symbols - should she know what they were about? No! She pushed that thought away too before it could show on her face.  
  
Looking at her with worry still tinging his expression, Jimmy asked, "What do you remember?"  
  
Smiling, she told him, "I remember that we still have to figure out a seating chart for Saturday."  
  
He grinned back at her. "I think I can handle that."  
  
She reached a hand out towards Clark. He moved forward to accept it. "And I remember our Best Man here still needs to pick up the rings from the jeweler's."  
  
Clark smiled warmly at her again. "I won't forget."  
  
She laughed.  


* * *

  
  
The hospital ran a number of test and drilled her rigorously on her memory before finally clearing her to go home. She had been wanting to call Davis all day, but didn't feel comfortable doing so with Clark or Jimmy in attendance. They only left her side when she was in testing.  
  
Even so the hospital wanted to hold her overnight for observation. The staff finally kicked Clark and Jimmy out, but now it was late.  
  
She wasn't sure of Davis' schedule, so decided to put off calling him until the next day.  
  
She would take the quiet time tonight to think. She sat up and stared intently at nothing, letting her mind run.  
  
She had been very careful during the testing today to not let on that she still had gaps in her memory.  
  
She decided to work on the mental issue using one of the techniques from the testing today. She started with something she knew to be true and worked forward until she hit a roadblock. The easiest one to do was Jimmy.  
  
 _She loved Jimmy and was going to marry him. They had been kidnapped on the night of their engagement party and questioned by a madman. She had passed the questions by doing...something. **Block.** She didn't know what she had done. _  
  
She ground her teeth in frustration and shifted forward across the skip in her memory.  
  
 _Jimmy had been keeping secrets from her. His real name was actually Henry. His parents weren't coming to the wedding. He hadn't trusted her enough to tell her the truth even though they had been together for years. But she had been keeping secrets too. Her secrets were... **Block.**_  
  
 _Wait, what??  
  
How can her own secrets be a mystery to her? Why were they a secret from Jimmy?_  
  
She started over.  
  
 _She loved Jimmy and was going to marry him. She wanted to marry him because he was normal and was someone that wouldn't interfere with the important parts of her life. She wanted normal because... **Block.**_  
  
She ground her teeth and started again.  
  
 _The important parts of her life were...Isis? Maybe? Clark? Yes, Clark.  
  
Wait! Why was Clark more important than Jimmy? **Block.**_  
  
This was getting more and more confusing.  
  
She had the nagging feeling that she was missing something about Clark and it had to do with why she was marrying Jimmy. Yes, she loved Jimmy, but did she love him enough to get married? Was he everything she wanted and needed for the rest of her life?  
  
She wasn't entirely sure. Those blank spots felt like the key. Like she chose Jimmmy for a reason she couldn't quite recall.  
  
She shot up straighter. She was getting married and didn't know why. Her eyes darted around the room as if seeking answers.  
  
Who could she ask? How could she find out?  
  
She didn't have any answers. If she asked anyone, they would think she was losing it again. She didn't want to put the people she loved through any more of _that_.  
  
Should she be getting married if she didn't know why?  
  
Davis flashed to her mind. He was smiling at her while wearing a towel.  
  
She quickly banished the image. No, that wasn't a good enough reason to call it off with a week to go. She had committed to marry Jimmy for reason, even if she couldn't recall it. She would have to trust herself that she was doing the right thing.  
  
 _Damn it all, she would marry Jimmy Olsen! Or Henry! Or whatever-his-name-is!_  
  
Hopefully she would know why later....  
  
Until then, she would be the best damn bride _EVER._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reasons
> 
> There were a few things that I really wanted to address when I wrote this fiction in relation to the many, many, many mind wipes that Chloe faced this season. A big one was how did Chloe seem so oblivious to the fact she was mind wiped AGAIN by Clark. By this point, so much of her life had become tangled in his secret that I don't see how she couldn't tell something was wrong. The most logical answer was -- she could tell, but Chloe being the person she is and wanting to protect the people she loved, she would have tried to shield them from the truth. So she lied and pretended to be OK, while looking for a solution on her own, which is very Chloe.
> 
> I also wanted to make a differentiation between the mind-wipe/replacement she suffered from Brainiac versus the block that Jor-El put in. You'll see more of that later. I had a lot of fun with that, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I like writing it.


	39. Chapter 39

Walking through the door into his apartment, Davis started stripping immediately. He wanted to be out of the uniform that seemed to embody everything the was "right." He didn't want to be doing the right thing.  
  
He wanted to be with Chloe.

In a careless way that totally unlike his normal self, he threw the clothes from his body as far as he could. First the jacket, then the shirt. They smacked against the window glass of his dining room-turned-gym area.  
  
He stalked into the kitchen and nearly pulled the refrigerator door off its hinges in his haste to get to one of the beers within. He twisted the top off and downed half the bottle before stopping for air. Still standing in front of the open fridge, he let his arm with the bottle fall to his side.  He leaned his head forward to rest it upon the still-closed freezer door. The cool air from the fridge chilled his body, but he didn't mind. He felt overheated and the cold air was nice.  
  
After several long moments, Davis moved away and closed the refrigerator. As he began to walk away, he changed his mind and snagged another beer from the fridge. Clutching the beers, he moved across to the living room and flopped down onto the couch.  
  
If he had acted differently, Chloe could be with him on this couch right now. _He_ could have been helping her. _He_ could have been protecting her.  
  
Him.  
  
Only him.  
  
Her words came back to him for the thousandth time that day.  
  
 _You're the only one. It's like you've become my entire world._  
  
He groaned and drained the rest of the open bottle before twisting the other one open. He didn't drink from the second. Just let it rest coolly in his hand as he stared at nothing.  
  
When she had forgotten everyone else, she still knew _him_. She had come to _him_.  
  
Not to the man she supposedly loved. Not to the best friend she had known almost her whole life. She had come to Davis.  
  
She had come to the man that shared that strangely strong, undefinable connection. _That_ was the part of herself that stayed when everything else was gone.  
  
Davis sat up straight at that thought. That sounded an awful lot like...soul mates.  
  
Wasn't that how it was described? A part of yourself that is someone else?  
  
Davis knew that he loved Chloe. He was now willing to admit he loved her from that very first second their eyes met that day at the accident. He had seen her before that, but it was when he met her eyes that he was a goner.  
  
Could that be what the connection was between them? It was too fantastic to be true, so he pushed the thought away.  
  
Davis Bloome just didn't get that lucky.  
  
But maybe he had been wrong in dismissing their connection so easily earlier. Didn't it say something that within hours of him saying goodbye to her, that she comes racing to him with no memory of anything but him? There was something here, he just couldn't quite figure out what it was.  
  
His cell phone began ringing. He checked the screen and saw an unfamiliar number. Frowning, he hit the answer button.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Is this Davis Bloome?"  
  
Davis recognized Jimmy's voice. "Jimmy?"  He sat upright.  "Is Chloe ok?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, she's fine. That is actually why I called. She woke up from the sedative with her memory back. She's fine. They are doing a ton of tests, but she is fine. I just wanted to let you know."  
  
Davis expelled a sign of relief. He didn't understand what had happened, but she was ok. Better than ok.  She was whole again.  
  
"Thanks for letting me know, Jimmy."  
  
"I can't thank you enough for taking care of her, Davis. Are you sure you can't make the wedding?"  
  
The wedding. _Stupid wedding._  
  
"No, I'm sorry, but they need me at the hospital that day."  
  
"That's a shame. I'll give Chloe your regrets when she gets out of here."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Oh, they are coming out of the room now. Bye, Davis."  
  
Jimmy was gone before Davis could say "bye" back.  
  
Davis felt a sudden pang of loss. Chloe had her memories back, but that seemed to mean she was still marrying Jimmy.  
  
Jimmy. A man she couldn't even remember a few hours ago. A few hours ago when she had clung to Davis and begged to stay with him.  
  
A certainty came upon Davis with a almost physical bolt of force. She was marrying the wrong man.  
  
He had been skipping around the idea for some time, but his morality kept getting in the way.  His gut had been trying to tell him all along. He had refused to go after her because she was engaged.  
  
But what if the engagement was a mistake?  
  
What if Davis accepted that Jimmy was wrong for her and actually threw his hat in the ring, instead of dancing around and hinting?  
  
Davis glanced at the clock. Jimmy said they were doing tests, so they were probably holding her overnight. He would go see her tomorrow.  
  
He was done doing the "right" thing. He wouldn't let her go without a fight.


	40. Chapter 40

Cloe though she was doing a pretty good job of convincing everyone that she was perfectly intact again.  She almost convinced herself even.  For some reason focusing on the logistics of the wedding seemed to make everyone feel better.  
  
Focusing on the logistics and not the feelings was easier for her too.  
  
As she walked out with the back door of The Talon with her scooter helmet in hand, she tried to think on anything but the question that was plaguing her most.  
  
 _Why was she marrying Jimmy?_  
  
She sighed.  She wasn't having much success either trying to avoid the question or answer it.  
  
Logistics.  Step one: Start scooter.  
  
"Chloe."  
  
She spun around to see Davis.  Her mood instantly lifted and she felt the grin split her face.  She didn't have to fake with Davis...and he had just been her hero.

"Hey, you!  You sneaking up on me? Don't have any hypodermic needles up your sleeves, do you?"  
  
He spread his arms to show his empty hands.  "Oh, no, no.  Not a needle in sight. I'm sorry that I had to do that to you."  
  
 _Didn't he realize that he had been kind of a hero by not letting her hurt herself?_  
  
"Are you kidding me? If you hadn't hit me with your best shot, I never would have gone with Clark and Jimmy."  She felt drawn by his presence, and began walking toward him.  She needed something else to say..."Oh, by the way, I heard you're not gonna be able to make it to my wedding. I'm really gonna miss you being there."  
  
She chose to ignore how much it hurt that he wouldn't be there.  Instead she defaulted back to what was keeping her together now -- Logistics.  Seating charts.  Not his lack of presence.  
  
"Chloe, I-I lied. They don't need me at the hospital that day."  
  
 _What?_ A wave of worry poured over her.  His expression had the look of a confession.  How badly had she messed up their friendship yesterday?  
  
"Please tell me that this isn't because of all the drama I put you through. You know that I wasn't in my right mind."  
  
She knew telling someone you "weren't in your right mind" didn't sound healthy, but it was literally true in her case.  She just hoped they could get past it.  His friendship had come to mean so much to her.  
  
He looked startled by her comment.  "No, no. It's not you. You're...beautiful."  His voice dropped on the last word.  The sincerity and simplicity of the comment made her blush.  
  
Gathering himself, Davis continued, "There's a lot in my life that I don't understand right now, but the one thing that I'm sure of... is how I feel about you."  He looked at her as his last words sunk in.  
  
Chloe was speechless.  They had teased around their attraction for each other, but here he was putting it out like that.  It seemed he wasn't done though...  
  
"I can't go to your wedding, Chloe, because I can't watch you marry the wrong man."  
  
 _Damn it!  Why did he have to do that?_ She couldn't ignore that.  She couldn't dance around that or pretend it didn't happen.  
  
"Okay, Davis, you need to slow down and put your ambulance in reverse."  As if to illustrate her point, she backed away to put some physical space between them.  
"I'll admit that when we first met, there was an attraction."  She chose to ignore the attraction was still present and in full force...  
  
She decided to play it down instead.  "I mean, you're kind and you save people's lives and you look great in a uniform, so of course I'm gonna like you."  Then she pulled out the matra that was going to see her down the aisle in a few days.  "But I love Jimmy."  
  
He seemed to sense this was the weak spot and jumped on it instantly.  "Do you?  Do you _really_? I tried to be the bigger man. That's why I brought you back to him, even though all I wanted to do was take care of you myself."  
  
She wondered if he had any idea how his words were affecting her.  He took at large breath and continued.  His words seem to dart into each and every one of her insecure places.  She stood transfixed as he stepped towards her.  
  
"But then I thought about it. When you forgot about everyone else in your life, who did you come to for help? Not Jimmy.  Not even your best friend, Clark."  He shut his eyes as if he was trying to contain himself.  "It was _me_."  He stepped forward again, invading her personal space.  His nearness sent little waves of awareness through her body.  "You came to me," he finished inches away from her.  
  
His nearness sent her thoughts skittering.  Whenever they got this close, her traitorous body got the better of her.  She tried to say something coherent, but only got as far as, "Davis, I..."  
  
He wasn't going to give her a chance to get out of this.  He easily drew her eyes to meet his intense gaze before he dropped the final bombshell.  "There is some sort of connection between us, Chloe, and I know that you feel it, too."  
  
She couldn't deny that.  From the day they met, he had invaded her thoughts, her dreams...  She stood before him, helpless, frozen.  
  
He reached out one hand and just using his thumb and the backs of his fingers, gently stroked her cheek.  His eyes dropped to her lips.  
  
 _Oh my god!  Is he going to kiss me?_ Then... _Please let him kiss me..._  
  
His eyes flickered up to meet hers again.  He gave her plenty of time to pull away as his flicked back and forth between her lips and her eyes.  His hand shifted to cup her face.  Then with infinite slowness he began to lower his head to hers.  
  
She couldn't wait any longer.  Closing her eyes, she raised her face to meet his.  
  
Their lips met and fit together perfectly.  His mouth was firm and tender as it softly moved with hers.  It was everything a first kiss should be.  
  
It was everything every kiss with Jimmy wasn't.  
  
 _Jimmy!_  
  
She broke away suddenly.  "Okay, stop. Um, Davis, this connection -- it was... it was never this."  
  
 _Except that it was._  
  
She frantically adjusted her hair and almost ran for her scooter.  What the hell was she doing?  She was going to marry Jimmy!  How could she let things with Davis go this far?  
  
She knew the answer, but refused to admit it.  Even to herself.  _Especially_ to herself.  
  
She heard Davis exhale sharply behind her.  _Please, don't let him know!_  
  
She couldn't look at him.  If he saw her eyes, he would know that it was a lie.  If he kissed her again...she wouldn't care.  
  
He sounded kind of choked when he spoke.   "I understand. But I am not ready to let you go."  
  
She hadn't expected that.  She turned to face him.  
  
"I will wait for as long as it takes."  
  
 _Really?_  
  
"You know where to find me."  
  
Then he was gone.  
  
She wondered if he had any idea how hard it was for her not to follow him.  Standing there, she felt lost and devastated.  It was like one of the pillars of her world had been pulled away.  
  
Davis was the only part of her life that seemed untainted by her broken memory.  They had separations before, at her request, but after today, the thought seemed unbearable.  
  
Was she making a mistake marrying Jimmy?  
  
Chloe shook herself.  No.  She had made her decision.  
  
Logistics.  She needed to get to the florist now.  
  
She found that her finger was tracing her lips where Davis had just kissed her.  She snapped the hand down.  
  
Logistics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overkill Wedding...
> 
> I found it really weird that Chloe suddenly went all uber-bride 30 seconds after leaving the hospital, while Clark and Jimmy gushed about it. I think she saw that they were more relaxed by her moving forward with the wedding (even if it was over-the-top) and played into it. Again, she was protecting the ones she loved by hiding her own pain.


	41. Chapter 41

Chloe pulled a beautiful pink dress down from the rack.  Holding it up, she spun to face the aisle.  
  
"How about this?"  
  
Lois popped her head around from the next aisle over so she could see the dress.  
  
"Too pretty."  
  
Then she was gone again.  
  
Chloe signed heavily and replaced the pretty pink.  "Tell me again why you need an ugly dress?"  
  
Lois' voice drifted over to her.  "Because I am a bridesmaid.  Bridesmaids aren't supposed to have pretty dresses."  
  
"You aren't a bridesmaid.  You are Maid of Honor."  
  
"Exactly, cuz!  I'll be right up front.  I need to make sure that everyone appreciates how great _you_ and the party look.  Not how great _I_ look."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes.  Considering how many members of both her and Jimmy's family gave "regrets," she expected there to be few people to really care about Lois' dress.  She signed heavily.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lois asked from the next aisle.  
  
"Do you think it is a bad sign that so few people from our families are coming to the wedding?"  
  
The dresses on the rack next to Chloe parted with a clatter as Lois popped her head through.  "What do you mean?"  
  
Chloe bit her lip, trying to find the right words.  
  
"Well, it seems like with the exception of you, most of the family is MIA.  Your dad and sister were no's.  Even my dad is a no."  
  
"Well, dad is a freakin' general.  It is hard for him to get away.  Ever.  I'm not even sure he would make _my_ wedding.  Lucy is on lockdown at some boarding-school-slash-juvenile detention thing."  She paused.  "Uncle Gabe missing is kind of weird though.  I mean, I know he doesn't come back much, but I would hope he would make your wedding."  
  
Chloe turned away.  "Lois, he doesn't come back at all."  
  
Lois looked confused.  "I thought you said he--"  
  
"I lied.  He hasn't been around since high school.  He says that Smallville is too traumatic."  
  
"Oh."  Lois fell uncharacteristically silent.  
  
Chloe babbled to fill the silence.  "I mean he was blacklisted, and almost blown up, and had to fake his death, and..."  
  
"But still!"  
  
Chloe signed and turned away.  She idly ran her hand over the dresses.  "But I had hoped..."  
  
Lois interrupted, "What about Jimmy's family?  They are in New York or something, right?"  
  
"No."  Chloe sighed again.  "Turns out that was a lie."  
  
Chloe explained to Lois about Jimmy's family and his reasons for lying.  
  
"I should go kick his ass!  How could he not have _told_ you?"  
  
"You can't kick his ass, Lois.  We talked about it.  It's ok.  I think."  Chloe frowned.  Had they talked about it?  It was a confusing mishmash sometimes trying to figure out what she remembered when.  
  
"So are you going to tell me about _that_ at least?" Lois asked.  
  
Pulling out of her reverie, Chloe was lost.  "Huh?"  
  
"Your little adventure as an amnesiac?"  
  
"It wasn't really that big of a deal."  
  
"No big deal??" Lois nearly screeched.  "I go away for a few days on assignment and the first thing both Clark and Jimmy tell me when I get back is you went all H.M.  They said you forgot everyone except that EMT that saved Oliver."  
  
"His name is Davis."  
  
"Davis, right.  What was with that anyway?  I thought you had just met the guy?"  
  
"No, we are..."  Chloe thought of that kiss.  His warm lips against hers.  She shook herself.  "Friends.  We are friends."  
  
Lois looked at her sharply.  "Friends," she repeated flatly.  
  
Chloe gave her a bright smile.  "Of course!  What else would we be?"  
  
Lois looked at her sharply, plainly not buying it.  "Good.  Something about him was...off to me."  
  
Chloe was dumbfounded.  "What?"  
  
"Hard to explain.  He was just very intense.  Especially when he looked at you.  I don't trust him."  
  
Chloe gave Lois a disbelieving look.  "He saved Oliver's life!  And he was very kind to me when I lost everything."  
  
 _Crap!_ Chloe knew she said too much when Lois' gaze sharpened on her.  
  
"What do you mean 'you lost everything'?"  
  
"I exaggerated.  I was just overwhelmed by the wedding and some details slipped my mind, but Clark and Jimmy really stepped up.  I'm fine now."  
  
Lois wasn't about to be fooled.  "Details...like who Jimmy is?"   Lois paused.  "Wait."  Then her mouth dropped in horror.  "Oh my god, did you forget _me_??"  
  
Chloe laughed.  Leave it to Lois to focus on the important part -- Lois.  
  
"I'm ok now, Lois."  
  
Lois looked at her sharply again.  Suddenly, Chloe was tired of lying.  
  
"I mean, there are still some things that are fuzzy, but not like before.  More like walls than missing parts.  Kind of like how you remember someone's face, but for the life of you, you just can't remember their name."  
  
Lois looked concerned.  "Chloe, that still isn't good.  Should you see someone?"  
  
Chloe shook her head.  "They still don't know why I got better, or why it happened in the first place.  They ran a thousand tests, and said I am fine.  I just hope it gets better on its own.  It isn't getting worse anymore, so that is good."  
  
Lois still looked unconvinced.  "Are you sure?  I mean, do you even know what is 'blocked'?"  
  
Chloe shrugged.  "Some things."  She frowned slightly.  "Motives mostly, which is weird."  
  
Lois looked confused.  "Motives?  What do you mean?"  
  
"I remember doing things, but not necessarily why.  Kind of like when you go to the store, but when you get there, you forgot what you needed to buy."  
  
Chloe could see Lois' mind working.  "Give me an example."  
  
The first one that came to mind was: _I am marrying Jimmy 'because he is normal and won't interfere with the important things.'_ She had no idea what those "important things" were, or why "normal" was such an important part of it.  
  
But of course she couldn't tell Lois that.  
  
Instead she said, "I was once in a hospital near the Arctic.  No idea how I got there or why."  
  
Lois looked at her strangely.  "Chloe, you were never in the Arctic."  
  
Chloe was confused.  "Yes I was.  And Clark was there visiting me."  
  
Lois raised a brow.  "That sounds more like the start of a fantasy than reality."  
  
Chloe thought this over.  It didn't feel like a dream...or a "fantasy" as Lois called it.  It felt real.  The before and after was blocked, but she remembered the hospital.  
  
For some reason though, Lois seemed reassured.  "It's ok, Chloe.  I'm here to fill in any blanks.  I mean, there really isn't anything you don't tell me."  
  
 _Except, I am not sure why I am getting married..._  
  
Instead she smiled.  "Thanks, Lo."  
  
Lois smiled back, before going back through the dresses to her original aisle.  A second later, Chloe heard her whoop.  "Ah-ha!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I found the perfect dress!"  
  
Lois came marching around to Chloe's aisle, a dress across her arms.  An _exceedingly_ orange dress.  
  
Lois proudly held the dress up for display.  It was an eye-popping shade of orange with a rusty sash thing.  
  
It was horrible.  
  
"Umm..."  
  
"I know!" Lois crowed proudly.  "It's horrible!"  
  
Chloe had to agree.  "Maybe a different color?  Or without the sash?"  _Or lit on fire..._  
  
"Nope.  It's perfect.  No one but Clark Kent would possibly like this dress."  
  
Chloe smiled.  "If you want Clark to like it, try red or blue."  
  
"I am _not_ trying to get something Clark would like," Lois huffed.  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"I'm going to try this on."  Lois left for the dressing room, cradling the orange dress over her arms.  
  
Chloe continued looking through the dresses.  "Lo..."  
  
"Yeah?," Lois shouted from inside the dressing room.  
  
"You won't make me wear a dress that horrible at your wedding, will you?"  
  
"It depends."  Lois' voice was slightly muffled.  
  
"On what?"  Chloe selected a pretty pale green dress from the rack, then shook her head an replaced it.  
  
Chloe heard the curtain to the dressing room slide back and turned to face Lois.  Lois in a lot of orange.  
  
Chloe raised a hand as if to shield her eyes from a glare.  
  
Lois placed her hands on her hips and spun, watching the orange flare around her.  "On how big a wedding gift you get me."  
  
Chloe laughed.  
  
The dress fit Lois perfectly.  It might have even looked good without the sash and in a different color.  
  
Turning this way and that, Lois admired (?) the dress.  "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner."  She marched back into the dressing room.  
  
Now that the dress was found, Chloe went back to her previous concern.  "Lois?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"So you don't think it is a bad sign, so many people can't make it?  I mean, I still haven't heard from Lana.  And Mrs. Kent can't make it, even though it is being held in her own barn!"  
  
The curtain to the dressing room was pushed open and Lois came out with the orange dress over her arm again.  She looked at Chloe sternly.  "Chlo, you aren't one to believe in signs or foretellings or mumbo-jumbo, so what is your point?"  
  
Chloe took a big breath.  Then looking Lois in the eye, she asked, "I know you had reservations about me marrying Jimmy.  So I know you will give it to me straight.  Why do you think I am marrying Jimmy?"  
  
Lois blinked, looking slightly dumbfounded.  "Why do ** _I_** think you are getting married?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Lois sat on a stool outside the dressing room with a thoughtful expression.  She draped the dress over her lap.  "Honestly Chlo, I've had a hard time trying to understand that.  You are both so young, and you have so little experience with men."  She glanced up, realizing that may sound bad.  "No offense, but it's true."  
  
Chloe thought of Davis, but then she thought of the large number of boys in high school that tried to kill her...  "Point taken.  Go on."  
  
Lois paused a second longer before continuing.  "But honestly, now that you explained about Uncle Gabe, well, things make a lot more sense."  
  
Chloe was lost.  "Huh?"  
  
Peeking up at her, Lois explained.  "Well, you don't have many dependable people in your life.  Besides me, of course."  
  
"But Clark--"  
  
Lois made a rude noise.  "Clark?  Mister-ran-out-on-you-at-spring-formal? 

Mister-always-running-off-on-mysterious-errands-Clark?"  
  
Chloe's brows knit.  "You have a point there."  
  
"And Lana disappeared into the ether after she and Clark split."  
  
Chloe looked sharply at Lois.  She had actually seen Lana since then, though it wasn't a public or social call.  
  
"Ok, so what is your point?"  
  
Lois rolled her eyes.  "Well you don't get much better puppy-dog slavish devotion than Jimmy Olsen."  
  
"Lois!"  
  
"Well, it's true and you know it.  He is completely devoted to you."  She smiled to take some of the sting from her words.  "With him, everything is a sign you should be together.  Look, Chloe!  We both like toast!  It's a sign we will be together forever!"  
  
Chloe had to laugh.  Jimmy did have a tendency to do that.  Then she frowned.  She never saw things that way.  Did that mean she didn't think they were meant to be together?  Or just that she was choosing him and destiny had nothing to do with it?  
  
Lois didn't notice her distraction.  "So I think you just want someone stable that will always be there.  And honestly, in that light, you couldn't do better.  He's crazy about you."  
  
That actually sounded like a concrete reason Chloe could wrap her head around.  Life with Jimmy would be safe and dependable.  He would always be there for her.  Look at what they had already been through in the last few months!  It might not be hot or passionate, or cause her insides to melt, but it would be steady.  
  
Hot and passionate conjured up images of Davis-- his lips on hers--him bare in a towel--him singing to make her heart break.  Then suddenly softer moments intruded into he thoughts.  Him holding her as she panicked about her memory--sitting at that cafe talking about how easy it was--how he went out of his way to help Bette.  
  
She shook herself out of it.  No.  That was just a fantasy.  She had already chosen Jimmy.  
  
Jimmy would stand by her.  It was about time she did the same.  
  
She took a deep breath and mentally opened a box and shoved all her feelings for Davis inside.  She wouldn't speak with him again until after the wedding.  After she was committed to Jimmy, then it would be safe to think on him again.  As a friend only.  Until then anything was too dangerous.  She needed to focus on Jimmy.  
  
She realized she had been sitting in silence far too long and snapped her head up.  Lois was studying her.  
  
Seeing Chloe was paying attention again, Lois asked, "Deep thoughts?"  
  
Chloe smiled.  "Yes, but I think I have a hold of it now.  Thanks, Lois."  
  
Lois smiled back.  "No problem."  
  
Standing up, Chloe asked, "So how about we go pay for that monstrosity and get out of here?  I have a ton of party favors to wrap."  
  
Lois smiled, and standing, made her way to the cashier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dress
> 
> So I know there are people that really liked Lois' dress in Bride, but obviously I wasn't one. I also thought it would be more fun to write them shopping for something horrible. I really enjoy Chloe/Lois moments and wanted to use one to pull a lot of loose threads together. In particular, where was Lois during Abyss? What was Chloe's memory was like with the block Jor-El added? What bride doesn't have doubts, especially after all the brain-drains Chloe had?
> 
> I also really wanted to address how many people were NOT at the wedding that you would have expected. It seemed to mostly be fill-in people, so I thought that required and explanation.


	42. Chapter 42

He had played to win, but somehow he had still lost.  
  
He has finally come out and told her everything he felt, but it wasn't enough.  She had chosen that little boy-man over him.

He clung to one shining ray of hope even now.  She hadn't sent him away.  She hadn't said she never wanted to see him again.  Even though she denied the nature of their connection, she hadn't denied it existed.  
  
She might not be his _now_ , but that didn't mean she never would be.  A year, or five, or even ten from now, she may yet come to him feeling for him with what he felt for her.  
  
Even though she denied it, she wasn't as immune to him as she liked to think.  That kiss had proven it.  It was _her_ that leaned in to seal their lips.  He had given her plenty of time to pull away before it happened.  Even the fact that she had broken the kiss so quickly, told him the truth.  If she had allowed it to continue longer, it wouldn't have stopped.  He knew the truth between them, and now he was sure she did too.  
  
He just had to survive until then.  
  
 _How could he survive until then?_  
  
A wave of desolation swept over him.  It was soon replaced by excruciating pain and finally...blackness.  


* * *

  
  
The next morning and each morning after for the next few days, Davis awoke somewhere dark and unknown.  One morning, he awoke three towns over from Metropolis.  Blood was everywhere.  
  
He didn't want to reach out to Chloe after what happened between them, but with each bloody awakening, his anxiety level grew.  What the hell was happening?  
  
Finally Saturday came.  He had been dreading this day, he had only managed to get scheduled for the day shift.  He would have all night to dwell on his loss.  
  
What he saw when he awoke told him he couldn't do it alone anymore.  Wedding Day be damned.

* * *

  
  
It was her wedding day, and he had awoken in alley bathed in more blood than he would ever he could have imagined.  He was surrounded by spent bullet casings.  
  
Had he been shot during last night's blackout?  How many bodies was all the blood from?  More than one for sure, but there were no _parts_.  Just blood.  
  
He ran to the mouth of the alley and was violently sick.  
  
After stealing some clothes and a very long walk, he made it back to his apartment.  He scrubbed his body until the skin was raw.  
  
He stared at his phone for several long moments until he picked it up and called her.  
  
He wasn't sure if he was relieved or upset to get her voicemail.  He bathed in the sound of her voice on the recorded message, but it didn't help get to the source of his problem.  
  
So he did the only thing he could.  He left her a message and got ready for work.  


* * *

  
  
 _It was too late now.  The day was here._  
  
She would follow through on her promise.  
  
So why was she still still plagued with doubts?  Everything she told herself was still true.  
  
She did love Jimmy.  He loved her.  He would always be there for her.  He was normal and they were happy.  
  
Why didn't that feel like enough?  
  
She felt like she should have some higher purpose.  Like that higher purpose was part of why she was marrying Jimmy, specifically.  
  
She shook her head.  She didn't have anything deeper going on.  Yes, she helped the meteor kids, but that didn't feel like enough.  She felt lighter, but kind of drifting.  
  
It was so damn confusing.  
  
It didn't help that she was fighting a losing battle against a freaking piece of elastic and lace.  
  
Just then her hero arrived.  With a photographer.  
  
Walking through the door, Jimmy caught her wrestling with the garter.  
  
"Wow. You look great," he said.  
  
She wasn't even dressed yet, so his honest stupefied reaction warmed her like nothing else could have.  Her heart swelled with love for this man.  
  
 _We will be happy together._  
  
"Hey, cowboy. Want to give a girl a hand?"  He dangled the garter out to him.  
  
"Oh, my God."  he comically covered his eyes with his hand.  "Oh, I'm not supposed to see you till the wedding.  Okay, you know what? Cut. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut."  Jimmy covered the photographer's lens with his hand.  
  
Chloe was baffled.  _What is he doing?_  
  
The photographer protested, "Come on, Jimmy. This is classic."  
  
Jimmy shooed off the photographer.  
  
"I, uh, called your phone, and you didn't answer. I thought that you were getting your hair coifed, or whatever you call it." Jimmy explained.  
  
He was adorable in his distress, causing her to smile.  
  
"I made the appointment earlier."  
  
"I wish you would have told me. I wouldn't have come over if I knew you were still here."  
  
 _Why is he so anxious?_  
  
"Jimmy, it's fine. Calm down."  His smiling anxiety, had her confused, but amused.  
  
"No, you don't get it.  This is a -- it's a disaster."  
  
If this is the worst disaster they faced today, she thought they were doing pretty well.  
  
Hoping to relieve his anxiety, she held up the garter.  "Maybe it's not so bad. I mean, my garter belt is a little bit temperamental. Maybe it's good luck that you came by."  
  
He wasn't willing to be so easily put off.  "The groom sees the bride before the wedding? It's like the Hindenburg of disasters. It's worse than black cats and broken mirrors and all that --"  
  
"Jimmy, breathe! Look, our love has weathered federal arrests and heart-attack-inducing kisses and a freakazoid bout of amnesia. I think that we'll survive this."  
  
That seemed to finally put it in perspective for him.  He closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath.  She giggled at the silliness of it.  
  
They had that too.  He always made her laugh.  
  
"That's better."  Again, she tried distracting him by presenting the garter.  
  
He finally took it, so she settled back on the chair and presented her leg.  
  
"You know, I guess me showing up is just a sign that... when no one else is around to help... we'll always be there for each other."  She smiled.  That was _exactly_ what she thought.  _That_ was why she was marrying him.  
  
"Forever," she told him, and knew in her heart that was true.  
  
His touch was steady and remarkably sure as he secured the garter.  _He_ clearly had no doubts.  She met his smiling gaze.  
  
"I'm gonna go get my bow tie."  
  
Her prince in a bow tie.  "Ok."  
  
He gave her a quick kiss and went into the bedroom.  
  
Her phone beeped.  
  
Picking it up, the screen said: Voicemail: DAVIS BLOOME  
  
 _Dammit!_ She had just gotten her footing under her again.  Davis was the one person guaranteed to throw her off today.  He conjured too many confusing and contradictory feelings for her.  She should be focusing on Jimmy today.  Sweet, loving Jimmy.  Not the beautiful and complicated Davis Bloome.  
  
She should just delete the message.  No way should she listen to it.  
  
So why was she dialing the voicemail number?  
  
Davis' voice came through as she lifted the phone to her ear.  "Chloe, it's Davis. Uh, look, I know I'm the last person you want to talk to today, but... please call me back."  
  
Before she could figure out what to think, Jimmy and the photographer came rushing back into the room.  She quickly ended the call.  
  
"Who was that?" Jimmy asked.  
  
It wasn't much of a stretch to lie and say, "Brigadier General Lois, letting us know that, uh, we have t-minus three hours until D-day."  Lois had been calling every 30 minutes since 6am.  Meeting the eyes of her husband-to-be, she asked, "So, what do you say we get ready to storm the beach, handsome?"  
  
He smiled and raced out the door.  
  
Three hours and Jimmy would be her husband.  
  
She was making the right choice, wasn't she?  
  
Wasn't she?  


* * *

  
  
The dress was beautiful.  Her hair was done.  The bouquet was a tasteful and colorful collection of autumn colored blooms.  
  
So why couldn't she look at herself?  
  
Here she was in Clark's loft, and she couldn't look.  He even had a full length mirror there, and she couldn't look.  
  
All she could do is stare down at the space where she and Jimmy would exchange their vows in shortly over an hour.  
  
At what point would it feel real?  At what point would she stop trying to justify why she was doing this?  
  
"My God. I have too much to do to start crying, but you look breathtaking."  
  
She started at Lois' voice.  Turning to her wonderful cousin, Chloe said, "If it wasn't for you, I would look more like the Bride of Frankenstein than Cinderella.  What you did to this barn is absolutely amazing, Lois."  
  
She and Jimmy didn't have a great amount of money to work with and the barn was the largest indoor space they could find...for free.  The Kents were even kind enough to give them all the fresh food for the wedding as a gift.  Chloe thought that was way better than a toaster.  
  
But the decorating, design, and planning of the space had all been Lois.  That was her gift to them.  Chloe loved it.  She was going to say more when her cell phone went off...again.  
  
"You gonna answer that?" Lois asked.  
  
By now the answer was no.  After the confusion his first message had caused, Chloe decided to stop listening to Davis' messages.  Hearing his voice was too much today.  She was afraid she would do something stupid...like, well, anything that didn't involve saying "I Do" to Jimmy.  
  
Reaching the phone she saw it was indeed Davis again.  She hit ignore.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lois asked.  
  
"Nothing," Chloe said.  Lois looked at her, obviously waiting for a clarification.  Chloe couldn't think of a reasonable lie, so told the truth.  
  
"It's Davis Bloome.  He-- he's been calling all day. You know, deep down, I know he's a really great guy. I just think he's a little confused." She didn't think it was appropriate to say that she was also confused.  He had made things so much harder since his confession and that kiss.  Oh God, that kiss...  
  
Lois was still waiting for further explanation.  _Maybe it would help to tell someone about it?_  
  
"Last week, he kissed me, and he told me he wasn't gonna let me marry the wrong guy."  
  
Looking at her probingly, Lois asked, "Are you starting to have feelings for tall, dark, and scary?"  
  
Chloe gave a rueful laugh.  Maybe Lois wasn't the right audience for this discussion.  Lois had made her mistrust of Davis clear the other day.  
  
"All I want is to walk down that aisle and marry the man I love," Chloe said instead.  That was completely true.  She just hoped she was actually doing that.  
  
Lois surprised her by asking, "When did you know he was the one?"  
  
 _Wasn't it **me** that was just asking **her** why I am doing this? _ Then Chloe realized the question wasn't actually about her and Jimmy.  Lois had someone in mind.  She expected that someone was Clark.  
  
She smiled at her wonderful cousin.  "Lois, don't worry. When you meet your super-stud, you'll know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conflicted
> 
> Bride was a great episode to explore the minds of the characters, especially Chloe. What she kept saying to everyone was so contradicted by her expression in unguarded moments. Obviously, I have my reasons for that. :)


	43. Chapter 43

They say your wedding day goes by in a blur.  They were right.

Chloe was filled with doubts up until the moment she took Clark's arm and the music began to play.  But seeing Jimmy at the end of that aisle with such a smile of radiant joy convinced her this was the right thing.  Whatever doubts she still harbored disappeared in the light of his smile.  She loved him.  He loved her.  Of course this was the right thing.  Everything else were just distractions.  Or maybe tests.  They would be happy.  
  
Her best friend was giving her away to the man she loved as her wonderful cousin looked on.  It really was a joyful day.  She would focus on those that were here to share it with her, not those that couldn't... or wouldn't.

Jimmy's vows were incredibly sweet even if they weren't true.  Known the first time he'd seen her?  Pssh.  She had asked _him_ out and then he didn't call after she gave him her virginity.  Well, she had left Metropolis in something of disgrace and a hurry, but still!  Him knowing right away was am obvious lie, but this made a better story.  She had labored for hours on her vows and quoted no less than three sources on love.  But after his simple, earnest statement full of love and a twinge of romantic deception they seemed too much.  
  
So she trashed them, and in a move very unlike her, spoke off the cuff.  
  
"Jimmy, I love you.  I know you will always be there for me, and I will always be there for you.  We have gone through so much before getting here, so I am sure that anything else that comes our way, we will face it together.  I know that the life we build together will be happy.  I'm so glad to have you.  I love you."  Then she realized she repeated herself and stumbled a bit.  "Oh, I said that already.  That's OK, it's still true."  
  
But she was so full of joy that she and everyone else in the church laughed.  
  
Then there were rings and when the minister said, "You may now kiss the bride" Jimmy dipped her back in a showy kiss that almost made her veil fall off.  
  
It was done.  She was Jimmy's wife.  
  
After the ceremony ended, everyone congregated out in the yard while the chairs were moved, the food set up, and the dance floor cleared.  They did photos, a receiving line, and socialized.  At times Chloe felt very awkward, because it felt like so few of the attendees were really the people she wanted to see.  Reporters from The Planet were good and all, but she would rather have Lana and Ollie.  Neither of them were here.  Ollie said he would be.  Where was he?  
  
Lois on the other hand was a champ.  She managed to work the horrible dress for the photos, while still chasing down the wait staff and getting the music set up.  Chloe decided to ask the DJ to play some Whitesnake later as a thank you.  
  
She was also impressed by Clark.  He tended to disappear at times like this, but instead he was always right there with a smile and a quick referral to Lois for any questions.  She was so very thankful for that.  She felt like there had been something off in their relationship.  Now that just seemed like nerves.  
  
When they moved back into the barn for the reception, she couldn't believe it.  Lois did it again.  It was now a classy venue where an hour ago it was a chapel and two days before that it was a barn.  How did she do it?  
  
The spread of food looked fantastic and soon everyone was diving in.  She and Jimmy took turns feeding each other special tidbits.  
  
Did they get to keep the leftovers?  She hoped so.  Or at least a doggy bag.  
  
They were going to spend a night in a fancy hotel, but that was all they could afford in terms of honeymoon.  So having swanky food for another few days would be welcome.  
  
Lois was delighted by the Whitesnake song and dragged Chloe out into  the dancefloor.  They both laughed madly and shouted select lyrics.  While Chloe was indifferent to Lois' favorite band, she had picked up enough through association with Lois to know the refrain.  
  
Then the DJ announced, "We'd now like to ask Chloe's escort to join her on the dance floor."  
  
She smiled.  Dancing with Clark.  This would be the first time they done that since Spring Formal.  At least she thought it was.  At prom she had been possessed by a Queen Bee and he was dating Lana.  So she doubted she and Clark had danced.

This would turn out much better for her.  She wasn't that lost girl in love with him anymore.  Now he was truly just her best friend.  
  
"Hey, Clark. It's time to boogie."  He was a little awkward and she had to chuckle.  She figured he was thinking the same thing as her.  "I know.  It's weird, isn't it?"

"A little," he agreed with a smile back.

She laughed.  She was so lucky to have him for a friend.  "Thank you for letting us have our wedding here."

"Yeah, well... it's the least I could do."  
  
She wasn't sure why, maybe just sheer joy, but she laughed again.

He looked very sincere now.  "You were always the best friend I ever could have had."  
  
 _Oh no.  Does he suspect her memory is still impaired?_  
  
She didn't want to set him off on a crusade again.  Best to deflect.

"You say that like something's changed. Clark, trust me, we've been through too much together. Nothing is gonna make me forget that."

"You're right."  He had an odd expression.  What was it? "The important thing is that your life is everything you want it to be."  
  
 _That still sounds odd, but kind of final.  Maybe he is telling me he won't pursue it if I am happy?  Ok, I can run with that._

"It is."  While not exactly true, it could be.  She was determined it would be.  And she could add some truth with the lie.  "It's like I've been carrying around this weight, and I don't know why, but a few days ago... I finally let go. Like I can move on."  
  
 _I can move on with Jimmy.  I made my choice._ _Whatever was bearing on me before no longer matters._

He still didn't quite look like he was going for it, but Jimmy came to her rescue.  She suspected that even though they were now married, Jimmy still couldn't stand seeing her in Clark's arms. Jimmy clapped a hand on Clark's shoulder.  "Okay, C.K. My turn to dance with my wife."  
  
Jimmy pulled her away, leaving Clark alone on the floor.  
  
"How are you, Mrs. Olsen?"  
  
Chloe laughed.  She had already told Jimmy she wasn't changing her name, but he thought by using "Mrs. Olsen", he could change her mind.  
  
"I'm fine, Mr. Sullivan."  
  
He smiled that charming smile of his.  
  
Pulling her close to him, the music changed to a deep bluesy number.  She rested her head on his shoulder and swayed with him.  She closed her eyes and let happiness sweep over her.  This felt nice.  They would be good together.  No other distractions.  
  
She wouldn't let brain issues or sexy paramedics get between them.  
  
That brief thought of Davis was enough to pop her bubble.  Her foot slipped and she broke their swaying rhythm.  
  
Jimmy looked down at her in concern.  "What's wrong?"  
  
She met his eyes to answer when she saw a silhouette enter the barn.  
  
She knew that shape!  
  
Lana!  
  
Chloe was ecstatic.  She raced to the doorway to meet her long-lost friend.  From their brief meeting at Isis, it hadn't sounded likely Lana would come.  She hugged her friend tightly.  She wasn't being abandoned.  Lana had come, even after the drama with Clark.  As Lana broke away she saw Clark and Lana lock eyes.  Chloe frowned.  She was kind of fuzzy on what their last drama was about.  Then she rolled her eyes.  It was Clark and Lana.  When wasn't there drama?  It had caused her much of her own heartache.  
  
Chloe caught a glimpse of Lois' face as Lana went over to meet Clark.  It seemed that Clark and Lois had been dancing.  Lois rushed past her out of the barn.  
  
 _Oh no.  Don't do this to Lois like you did to me._  
  
Then Chloe was swept up by another group of guests.  
  
Soon the cake was brought out.  She and Jimmy posed for pictures again.  Someone started calling, "Kiss!   Kiss!"  The chant was taken up by more and more of the crowd, so they did.  
  
Turning towards the cake, she and Jimmy were just starting the cut, when a loud roar flowed by a thunk rattled the whole barn.  
  
Looking up, Chloe asked, "What was that?"  
  
Then all hell broke loose.


	44. Chapter 44

The lights flickered.  
  
A strange cry that she could only associate as sounding like a dinosaur.  
  
The barn roof falling in.  
  
Something huge and monstrous throwing Clark across the barn and into the loft.  She doesn't see him again.  
  
Jimmy trying to protect her and getting torn open.

 _Oh dear God.  Jimmy!_  
  
She takes him in her arms and begs him to hold on.  
  
Her dress feels sticky.  
  
A  menacing presence behind her.  
  
Red eyes in a nightmare face.  
  
It touches her face.  
  
It knows her name.  
  
She screams.  
  
It takes her in its arms.  She is too frightened to resist.  
  
They are moving fast.  So fast.  Incredibly fast.  
  
The world rushes by.  
  
She is cold.  Everything is white.  
  
Is that a castle?  
  
She disappears.  
  
Nothing.


	45. Chapter 45

Davis awoke to white and cold.  
  
He looked around at the strange cold place.  Rolling his head over, he saw _her_.  
  
 _Chloe!_  
  
Climbing down from the crystal and ice platform, he raced to her, ignoring the twinges of pain.  
  
He called her name.

  
He had only gone a few steps when he saw she had a huge bloodstain on her white dress.  Her wedding dress.  
  
He was taken aback and froze mid-step.  
  
"Oh, my God.  Are you okay?"  
  
She paced towards him in a strange stiff way.  They light caught her eyes.  
  
Her eyes were _wrong_.  
  
Her voice was strange and hard.  "I'm just about perfect."  
  
What the hell was this?  This wasn't his Chloe.  
  
He walked closer to get a better look at her strange eyes.  Was this like the thing that had happened to Lois?  
  
Suddenly Not-Chloe reached out and grabbed his throat in a hard grip.  She forced his neck from side to side.  
  
Davis' mind was racing.  How had Lois been fixed?  Could he help Chloe the same way?  
  
She must have been satisfied with her examination.  "You appear undamaged."  
  
"Chloe, what happened to you?"  
  
He didn't think this was Faora again.  Faora had been honey and pride.  Well...until she run a pole through him.  This thing in Chloe was as cold as the ice around them.  
  
"Chloe Sullivan ceased to exist the minute she entered this fortress," she told him.  
  
 _No!  Chloe must still be in there!_  
  
"I'm the brain interactive construct."  
  
He pressed down his fear.  Removing her hand from his throat, he looked deep into the eyes of Not-Chloe.  When her memory was wiped she still knew _him_.  He could reach her.  Only him.  
  
"Look at me. It's me.  It's Davis."  
  
She replied contemptuously, "You're not Davis Bloome. You're not even human."  
  
 _Oh God._ That was what Not-Lois had said.  Had all she said been true?  Even a few days ago, he would have thought that was absurd.  But after The Beast, he wasn't so sure.  So what the hell was he?  
  
It was almost like Not-Chloe read his mind.  "Don't tell me the thought never crossed your mind."  
  
 _Oh God._ He believed.  He was helpless as Not-Chloe advanced on him, speaking her horrible truths.  
  
"You were hatched by Kryptonian geneticists. Your DNA was designed to adapt to any world you inhabit. Now you no longer need your camouflage abilities. Those painful transformations you've been experiencing -- they're the beginning of your metamorphosis."  
  
No!!  
  
"This is insane."  He knew he sounded weak and unsure.  He couldn't even stand his ground as she backed him against the platform where he had awoken.  
  
"No. It's...sad, from a human perspective..."  He tried to look anywhere, but at her strange eyes.  They suddenly caught on her lips.  Chloe's lips.  But not.  They were twisting cruelly in a way that Chloe's never would.  But she was still speaking.  "Your naive romantic attraction to the human I chose to inhabit."  
  
How could Chloe's lips be so close to him, but she is so far?  He had to reach her.  
  
"Chloe, if you're in there anywhere, you know that the feelings that I have for you are real."  He tried to put all his love and conviction into his voice.  
  
Not-Chloe looked at him with something that might have been pity if it wasn't so hard.  
  
"Feelings?" she scoffed.  
  
He searched her eyes for some sign of Chloe.  He saw none, but Not-Chloe wasn't done.  
  
"That was just a program I was running to get you to me."  She turned from him.  Leaving him reeling.  
  
 _What?_ Was she saying that his feelings for Chloe were...a program?  
  
 _No!_ He loved Chloe.  He knew it was real.  
  
Not-Chloe looked up to a spot in the upper reaches of the...fortress.  "Your journey's just beginning. Now it's time for you to incubate in your Kryptonian chrysalis. Once you emerge, there will be no more pain, no doubt. Only absolute rage and unparalleled power."  
  
It was too much.  He had to get away.  He couldn't let whatever this creature that was possessing Chloe unleash The Beast.  Then he had to find help for Chloe.  
  
"Stay the hell away."  He turned to leave.  
  
Suddenly, she was directly in front of him.  He gasped.  
  
 _How the hell--?_  
  
The light fell softly on her and illuminated her strange _wrong_ eyes.  "You play a vital part in my directive. Once I get everything I need, you will eradicate the other Kryptonian and then the rest of the planet."  
  
 _No!_ He wouldn't allow that to happen.  He had done too much damage already.  No more!  
  
"I am not going to hurt anyone," he told it/her.  He tried to make his voice sound firm, but he knew it faltered.  he wasn't sure if that was true.  if he was capable of controlling the monster inside.  
  
"You have no free will."  
  
 _No!  That can't be true!_  
  
She walked away.  "Twelve days in the chrysalis, and you're destined to become what you really are. Doomsday."  
  
Doomsday.  
  
The name roared through his skull.  
  
 _Doomsday._  
  
It was true.  
  
It was all true.  
  
Davis' legs gave out from under him and he collapsed to the floor.  
  
Not-Chloe walked to one of the great crystal pillars and placed a hand upon it.  Blackness poured from her hand as the light of the crystal seemed to be absorbed.  
  
Turning to look over her shoulder at him, the last of the light disappeared from the crystal.  She smiled wickedly, and Davis felt a sudden rush of panic.  She was going to do something.  He started to rise, but crystals sprouted from the snow under him.  He began to cry out, as the crystals formed a cage around him.  They filled in, encapsulating him.  
  
His vision went white and he knew no more.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Hello?" Chloe called into the darkness.  "Can anyone hear me?"  
  
She was trapped in the darkness in her own mind.  
  
She understood everything now.  She remembered everything now.  
  
Now that it was too late to do anything.  
  
Brainiac had taken over not just her mind, but her body.  
  
Chloe knew that she should consider herself lucky.  Brainiac thought she was dead.  
  
When she had seen that The Beast was taking her to the fortress, some instinct had told her to hide her "self".  So she took advantage of those unknown, mysterious mental walls.  She had been battering at them for a week, so she knew they were strong.  They were also sort of "slick" which made them invisible until you came against one directly.  If she could reach the other side, she may be safe from Brainiac.  So she took a mental leap and instead of force, she had instinctively "jumped the fence" instead.  
  
On the other side, she came back to her full sense of self.  She remembered Clark's secret, Krypton, Brainiac -- all of it.  No more blank spots.  No more walls.  No more codes, symbols, or other unknown thoughts or voices.  
  
She was whole.  She was safe.  
  
She was also trapped.  
  
So she did what she always did when she was in trouble.  
  
She called for Clark.  
  
She called over and over, shouting with her mental voice.  
  
But how would he ever hear her?


	46. Chapter 46

Davis dreamed.  
  
But he didn't dream as Davis.  He dreamed as The Beast.  He dreamed as Doomsday.  
  
The part that was Davis was pushed into the background.  
  
There was a harsh planet full of high tech looking cities.  He somehow knew this was Krypton.  He was in a strange laboratory.  Memories and impressions were washing over him.  Davis knew this was something other than a dream.  Was this Doomsday's history?  _His_ history?

  
Davis felt separate from what he saw happening.  Everything he was experiencing was for Doomsday.  
  
He was held captive in a lab as a strange alien killed him over and over.  He said it was to make him stronger.  The alien ranted that _he_ was Doomsday's father, not Zod.  The alien was still screaming "I am your father!" when the monster killed him.  
  
Then he and Beast flashed forward.  There was a strange planet that had defenders in green suits that could fly.  The defenders had rings that gave them great powers.  Doomsday stripped one of the rings from a body and used their own power against them.  Nothing was left when he was done.  
  
They flashed again to a new place and the feeling shifted.  Now everything was kind of fuzzy around the edges unlike the sharpness of the memories.  
  
It was a planet unlike he had seen before.  It was red and harsh.  The residents were green-skinned humanoids.  The knowledge came to him --they were Martians.  
  
What was this now?  Training scenarios?  Davis was ignored, unable to stop anything that happened.  
  
The Beast went mad.  The Martians attacked him with everything they had.  Doomsday was killed over and over, but it didn't stop him for long.  Just as Davis had experienced, if he was killed, he was immune to whatever killed him upon resurrection.  Soon the defenders ran out of new options.  Doomsday tore apart everything, and _everyone_ in his path.  Nothing was left.  
  
When Davis tried to stop the destruction, he was easily pushed aside by the monster.  He was a gnat and no more.  
  
The people of Mars were just the start.  
  
World after world were destroyed before his eyes.  There was no mercy in The Beast.  Davis turned away, but was unable to leave.  He was forced to stay while Doomsday destroyed planet after planet, becoming stronger with each kill, each rebirth.  
  
Davis understood the purpose of the destruction now.  Wherever they were -- _the fortress still?_ \-- was running a training program to mold and harden The Beast.  To shape him into Doomsday, as Not-Chloe had said.  
  
Twelve days, she had said.  How long had this been going now?  He had no way of knowing.  It felt like it had gone on forever.  
  
Then they came to a beautiful blue planet with swirling white clouds.  
  
Earth.  
  
 _No!_  
  
That was when the true horror began.  
  
The Beast began tearing into the planet.  
  
Though Davis had never been there, he had no problem identifying the large cities.  Paris, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York.  
  
Millions died.  
  
Davis raged at the monster, but like before, he was turned aside easily.  
  
Then the monster began targeting places personal to Davis.  The homes where he had lived, happy and unhappy alike.  His apartment.  The hospital.  
  
Davis didn't think it could be worse after seeing what the monster did at Met Gen.  All those people, already sick and injured... the carnage was indescribable.  
  
Then came the people Davis knew.  
  
Davis finally understood the full scope of what was going on.  
  
The Beast was tearing away all aspects of his life as Davis.  
  
Shredding his camouflage.  
  
And there was nothing Davis could do to stop it.  
  
The Beast tore anyone Davis had ever known limb from limb before his eyes.  
  
The Beast was emotionless.  Just rage and destruction, as Not-Chloe had said.  It didn't take either pleasure or pain in the actions.  No torture, no questions, no nothing.  The Beast was methodical, like he was cleaning away dust bunnies from under a couch.  Destroy and move on.  
  
Coworkers, friends, foster families, even his landlord, all gone.  
  
Then he saw Chloe.  
  
The Beast was going to get Chloe.  
  
 ** _No!!_**  
  
Not Chloe!  If Chloe was gone, he didn't want to live on either.  The part that was Davis would die too.  
  
He raced around the monster, until he faced it.  Chloe huddled behind him.  Davis threw his arms out and stared the creature in the eyes.  It had horrible red eyes.  He knew those eyes.  They had been his own.  
  
"You will not hurt her!,"  he screamed at the creature.  Then making claws of his hands, he exerted his will and grasped onto the fabric of the strange dream world and pulled.  
  
The fabric of the world tore.  
  
The Beast looked at him in surprise.  It was the first real emotion Davis had seen from the monster.  
  
Davis didn't know what he was doing, but he exerted his will and reshaped the world.  It was similar to how he would push the blackouts away before.  He pushed outward with his own sense of self.  
  
 _I am NOT just camouflage!_  
  
As he clawed away at the fabric of the world, he respun it into what he wanted.  His remake wrapped around the monster until it was trapped.  
  
The monster raged, but was trapped in the fabric of its own world.  Or rather, it was now trapped by Davis' world.  
  
Davis turned back to Chloe.  She was on floor and staring at him in open-mouthed astonishment.  
  
"What?  How?," she asked.  
  
Davis thought about what Not-Chloe had said and his own theories before answering slowly.  "I think that I am still in the fortress.  That brain thing said I would hibernate for twelve days before emerging as Doomsday.  I think all this is part of that process.  I think this is the training, the shaping, maybe the memories of the destroyer."  
  
"So what did you _do_?" she asked.  
  
Looking around at what he had created, he replied, "I think I rewrote the program."  
  
Chloe frowned.  "I think that means I am part of the program too." She looked up at him, still frowning.  "Why did you stop him?  I'm not real."  
  
He walked up to her, and pushed a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.  He smiled in the warm way that Chloe always made him feel.  "Chloe, you aren't a program.  You're a dream.  My dream.  And nothing will ever be more real than this."  
  
He leaned down and took her lips with his own.  
  
That was when the music kicked in.  
  
He smiled hugely and Chloe beamed back up at him.  
  
They turned to face the aisle as the minister cried out, "Let me introduce Mister and Missus Davis Bloome!"  
  


* * *

  
  
Holding hands they walked down the aisle as the sounds of the Wedding March swelled.  
  
Instinctively, Davis knew this wouldn't last.  The monster would break free and destroy this world, like he had all the others.  His human self couldn't contain Doomsday forever.  
  
But for now, this was Davis' world and he would live it as best he could.  
  
This time she married the right man.  This time it was _him_ at the end of the aisle, not Jimmy.  
  
His mind filled in sketchy details around him.  Glimpses of smiling guests.  A cake.  Flowers.  The only parts that were really complete were him and Chloe.  
  
He was in a tux.  She wore the wedding dress he had seen in the cave, but clean and beautiful.  
  
They danced.  
  
They kissed long and slow and lingering.  It was the kind of kiss he had intended for them when he kissed her before.  His kissed her with drugging intensity, exploring the shape of her mouth, the flavor of her tongue, the warm places hidden behind her smile.  
  
He shifted the world around them.  They were in his apartment, still in their wedding finery.  
  
If this was a dream, his final dream, let it be of their wedding night.


	47. Interlude 3

It was a dream, a fantasy, but it was all he had.  He would enjoy what he could before it was torn asunder.  
  
Davis and Chloe swayed to some deep, slow music that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.  
  
Her body pressed against his.  
  
He held her face between his hands and kissed her deeply.  He was torn between kissing her forever and...other things.  He decided to do both.  Without breaking the kiss, he ran his hands down the column of her neck.  He traced his thumbs over her collarbones, then down along the dress straps.  Then lightly, with just his thumbs, he traced the line of the dress where it met the swell of her breasts.  
  
Finally breaking the kiss, he took advantage of Chloe's head being rolled back to kiss along the length of her throat.  Then using the tip of his tongue he traced back up the warm column and across to her ear.  She shivered and tilted her head to give him access.  Using his tongue, he traced the shape of her ear while his thumbs traced lightly over the top of her dress.

  
Chloe was running the fingers of one hand through his hair and using the other to hold onto his shoulder for balance.  
  
He nibbled gently on her earlobe and heard her little sounds of pleasure.  
  
The dress was beautiful, but it covered too much of her.  He wanted to see more of her.  
  
She must have felt the same, because he felt her hands begin to open the buttons of his shirt.  Pulling back from her slightly, he shrugged out of the tux jacket.  She had already undone about half his shirt buttons, but she moved forward again so she could undo the rest.  
  
He was momentarily distracted from his own intent to remove her dress when she spread his shirt wide and placed her palms flat on his chest.  He loved the feel of her hands on his bare skin.  She gazed up at him through lowered lashes as she lightly scratched her nails across his chest.  
  
He leaned forward and captured her mouth again as she began tugging the shirt from his pants.  She slid her tongue along the seam of his mouth as she pushed the shirt from his shoulders.  
  
He pulled her tight against his now-bare torso and slid his hands around to her back, planning to pop open each of the tiny white buttons of her dress.  
  
Chloe had other ideas.  
  
She pushed back slightly, breaking the kiss.  He looked down to meet her gaze.  
  
Holding his eyes, and with deliberate slowness, she began to sink to her knees before him.  The skirts of her beautiful white dress formed a froth around her as she settled.  
  
It seemed somehow wrong, but incredibly erotic, to have her before him in that virginal white wedding dress as she worked open his belt and then his fly.  
  
Without looking away, she freed his cock from his boxer briefs and pants.  
  
He was already fully hard and she had barely even touched him.  
  
Finally looking down, she watched him as she drew one finger along the length of his upthrust cock.  When her finger ran along the slit of the tip, it twitched.  She seemed to find this intriguing and did it again.  It twitched again and Davis let his head fall back on a groan.  He looked down at her as he felt her grip him firmly.  She used the thumb to trace the slit again, but held him securely.  Then, with her free hand, she gently dragged her nails along his thigh.  It sent a shivery feeling through him that was at odds with the firm pressure of her grip on his cock.  
  
"Jesus!"  he cried.  
  
Then he felt warm wetness encircle the head.  
  
He almost came right then.  
  
He kept his eyes tightly shut as Chloe moved her mouth over him.  He felt her tongue swirl around the head in her mouth.  Then releasing the head, she licked up and down the sides, moisturizing the shaft.  When she moved her attention back to the head, her hand began to smoothly slide up and down the shaft.  She explored the shape of him with the tip of her tongue.  Rolling the edge of the head around her mouth.  Teasing the tip with a flicking tongue and lapping up the beads of moisture that formed there.  
  
He had been trying to keep his hands by his sides so as not to interfere with her, but it was becoming too much.  He reach down and tangled his hands in her soft blonde hair.  
  
She took that as further encouragement, and wrapped her lips around the head again.  Then she began sliding her mouth deeper along the shaft, slowly taking more and more of him into her mouth.  She would back off a bit then slide forward, taking more in.  
  
He felt her steadying hand slip away and then her lips were at the base of his shaft.  She held there for a second and began rumbling deep in her throat.  The vibration rumbled through his cock and he released her hair with one hand to steady himself against a wall.  
  
"Fuck!"  he cried again and looked down.  She was looking up at him, with her mouth full of his cock, the white dress a shining puddle around her.  
  
It was the hottest thing Davis had seen in his entire life.  
  
Her hands shifted to hold onto his still-covered ass.  She was steadying herself as she began to slide her head up and down on him, still holding his eyes.  
  
Davis was torn between closing his eyes to let the sensations flood over him and the incredibly hot image of Chloe's mouth around him.  
  
Sensation finally won out and his hips began to pump as she moved her head up and down his cock.  The pressure building was becoming to much.  
  
"Chloe, I'm gonna cum."  
  
She did that rumble that sent vibration through him again and sped up her movements.  She showed no sign of wanting to break the contact.  
  
That broke him, and waves of cum poured from him as pleasure exploded through him.  He felt Chloe's throat work, swallowing it.  
  
He turned extremely sensitive, and Chloe seemed to sense this because, with a final lick, Chloe released him.  She daintily wiped at her mouth, but stayed kneeling on the floor.  
  
Davis leaned against the wall for support as his breathing returned to normal.  
  
Finally, returning to himself. Davis looked down at Chloe where she was still kneeling on the ground.  She was smiling wickedly and her beautiful eyes sparkled.  She looked incredibly satisfied with herself.  
  
He reached out a hand to help her to her feet and pulled her into his arms again.  He kissed her quickly, then tilting his forehead down to meet hers, grinned madly.  
  
"Best.  Wife.  Ever."  
  
She grinned back up at him.  
  
Then reaching behind her, he swept her up into his arms.  She let out a little shriek of surprise.  
  
"Davis!  My dress!"  
  
He paused to kiss her more lingeringly at the entrance to his bedroom.  "Don't worry.  Your dress is fine."  He grinned wickedly.  "For now."  
  
Chloe gave him a suspicious look.  He grinned widely, and tossed her onto the bed in a  swirl of white fabric.  She shrieked again.  He laughed and jumped onto the bed with her.  
  
She managed to find her way up amongst the swirl of fabric and gave him a mock-annoyed look.  He just grinned at her, and though she tried, she couldn't keep up the facade and leaned back on her elbows and laughed.  He pulled her close to him and she melted.  He kissed her deeply and she tried to pull him onto her.  His pants were still open and his cock was already getting hard again, but he leaned back with a grin.  
  
"Not so fast, wife.  I believe I owe you a fair turn."  
  
He began sliding down the bed until he reached the bottom of her dress where it fell off the side of the bed.  Chloe leaned up on her elbows again to watch him.  He gathered the bottom of the skirts in his hands, and with a grin, pulled them up over his head.  
  
From his place under her voluminous skirts, he heard Chloe let out a laugh.  
  
Everything under the skirts was white and pink.  He made his way up under the skirts to her legs.  White fabric, white stockings attached to..he stared...white garters.  With little pink bows.  
  
 _Oh God.  She is wearing garters._  
  
Between the stocking and the garters was Chloe's creamy pink skin.  Then a pair of lacy white panties.  
  
Davis just stared for a second.  
  
Chloe shifted and he saw a flash of pink on the panties.  They also had a little bow.  
  
Davis growled hungrily now.  He had to make his way up those gorgeous legs to the little pink bow.  
  
He placed a hand on each of Chloe's ankles and began running his hands up her legs.  First over smooth stocking-clad leg calves, then just above the knees, to smooth pink skin highlighted by the pink and white garters.  Her thighs quivered as his hands began to press into the soft, pliant flesh.  He kneaded her thighs as he brought his face to the apex.  He rubbed his nose along the satin of the panty.  He could smell the woman scent of her through the fabric.  Then playfully, he shifted higher, and took the pink bow in his teeth and pulled at it.  The panty pulled away from her.  He was momentarily worried he had destroyed them, when he saw they had two more little ribbon ties on the sides.  He grinned again.  Oh my, how he liked that.  
  
Chloe was now exposed before him, but still wearing the garter belt and stockings.  
  
The sight before him now warred with the image earlier of The Hottest Thing He Had Ever Seen.  
  
He heard Chloe whimper and shift.  She couldn't see what he was doing, but surely knew that her little panties were gone.  
  
To clue her in to where he was going, he exhaled a warm breath on her core.  
  
She bucked up with a little cry of pleasure and longing.  
  
Using his hands on her thighs, he spread her legs wider, exposing all of her to his gaze.  Then, leaning in, he dragged his tongue from the back of her slit forward to her molten core.  Wetness slicked across his tongue.  It was salty and sweet and all Chloe.  He dove his tongue into her and she obliged by pouring more sweetness onto his tongue.  Then, dragging his tongue up, he found the sensitive little bud, and wrapped his lips around it.  He heard Chloe cry out as he sucked on it.  Then he began flicking his tongue back and forth over it, and he heard Chloe panting heavily.  Her thighs shook.  He removed the hand from one soft thigh and slid two fingers into her warmth.  Chloe cried out and began and buck up and down on his hand.  Davis shifted his other hand to steady her as he went back to sucking and pulling at her clit with his mouth and driving his fingers into her.  Under the white fabric of the dress, it was hot and moist and full of the womanly smell of Chloe.  
  
This might be heaven.  
  
Chloe cried out, and he felt the pulsing waves of her orgasm flow through her entire body.  A new wave of moisture poured over his fingers.  
  
As he resurfaced from the dress, he licked his fingers clean.  
  
Chloe was lying back against the bed, one arm stretched up around her head, the other hand pillowing her chin.  
  
She smiled at him languidly. Davis smiled back.  
  
Standing at the edge of the bed, he finally kicked off his shoes, and dropped the pants and boxers.  Chloe watching him with that same languid smile.  Her gaze traveling over his nude body, and coming to rest on his upthrust cock.  He smiled back and extended a hand to her.  With lazy movements, she made her way  to the edge of the bed.  When she reached the end, she dangled her legs until they found the floor, and stood up.  She moved forward to meet him.  She placed a palm on his chest again and leaned forward for a kiss.  He bent his head to obliged.  Her other hand reached forward and wrapped around his naked shaft where it pressed against her.  He groaned into her mouth and slid his hands around her back to the buttons of her dress.  As the buttons popped open one by one, she released him so she could pull her arms out of the straps without breaking the kiss.  Then he felt soft flesh against his stomach and saw her breasts were naked.  The dress must had had a built-in bra.  
  
 _God, she has gorgeous breasts._  
  
The dress was still caught around her hips, so he pushed the fabric down until it pooled around her feet.  She stepped out of the dress, and kicked it back with a surprising disregard.  She now stood before him in nothing but the white and pink garter, stockings, and shoes.  He stared.  She cocked and eyebrow at him.  
  
"Should I leave them on or take them off?"  
  
"On," he said, and once again swept her into his arms.  
  
They fell together onto the bed.  
  
Davis once again captured her lips in his, as his hands slid down along her sides and to her beautiful breasts.  He traced his thumbs along the undersides of the swells, around to the front and then up across the nipples.  He rubbed his thumbs over the peaked nipples and felt Chloe gasp into his mouth.  Then breaking the kiss, he shifted his head to one of the exquisitely hardened nipples and took it into his mouth.  He suckled and laved it with his tongue as he pull and rubbed the other with his hand.  Chloe reached down to clasp his head with her hands and press him into her chest.  His cock was almost painfully hard as it bobbed across her legs.  Chloe began sliding one of her legs along his and making little whimpers of pleasure.  He wanted to suck her beautiful breasts forever, but her shifting caused her hot wet core to graze over his cock.  He gasped as he felt the warm entrance.  
  
"Yes..." he heard Chloe purr.  
  
Releasing her breast, he adjusted the angle of his hips until he slid into that warm wetness.  She was so ready, he slid in to the hilt with a single stroke.  Chloe gasped and called his name as he buried himself.  He paused momentarily, to give her a chance to adjust.  She was so damn tight.  But Chloe didn't want that.  She wrapped her legs around him and began rolling her hips and whimpering to encourage him to move.  That was all he needed.  He retreated and plunged in with a smooth, deep rhythm, rolling his hips up with each stroke to hit her g-spot.  Chloe panted and made little sounds of pleasure under him.  He increased the pace and he felt her body begin to tighten.  His own was beginning to contract as well, and he began speeding his thrusts, still pulling up to hit her spot.  She was almost there.  He could feel it.  Then suddenly, her body contracted and pulsed around him, covering him with new moisture.  She cried out his name as her body shook.  That sent Davis over the edge.  His shouted out as he pumped into her, pleasure exploding in him.  
  
He collapsed onto her for a few seconds before he realized he may be crushing her.  He began to shift over, but Chloe squeezed her arms and legs around him, keeping him in place.  
  
He met her eyes and asked, 'I'm not crushing you?"  
  
She looked at him dreamily, "No, it's nice."  
  
He kissed her long and lingering.  His cock, still buried inside her, gave a hopeful twitch.  
  
She felt it and laughed.  He smiled at her joy.   Still smiling at him, she said, "Aliens must have better recovery time than humans."  
  
His smile instantly vanished.  
  
 _Aliens._  
  
That was _him_.  _He_ was the alien.  
  
He wasn't human.  
  
This wasn't real.  
  
He had forgotten.  
  
Looking out past the bed, he finally became aware of his surroundings again.  
  
The Beast stared back at him with red eyes.  
  
It had gotten free.


	48. Chapter 48

In the darkness behind her walls, Chloe's mental voice felt raw.  She had collapsed what felt like hours ago.  She broke down into sobs, but even as she cried brokenly, her raw mental voice called for Clark.  
  
Then suddenly, a warm female voice echoed out in the distance.  It was calling her name.  
  
Chloe's tears stopped instantly as she scrambled to her feet.  Was that real?  She heard the voice again.  Definitely female and definitely NOT Brainiac.  
  
She cried out in joy.  "I'm here! I'm Chloe! I'm here!!"

She spun in a circle and continued calling out to that female voice.  
  
The voice was moving away.  It couldn't sense her through the walls.  
  
Chloe panicked.  She scrabbled at the walls that had been her salvation.  They were now her trap.  
  
With a mighty shove, she drove her shoulder against the wall.  
  
She sprang back in surprise as the wall easily fell over.  It shattered with a sound like breaking glass.  
  
They must only be strong from the outside.  
  
The voice was nearly gone.  
  
Moving outside the wall, Chloe cried out again.  "I'm here! I'm Chloe! I'm here!!"  
  
The voice paused, then called again.  It sounded closer.  
  
Chloe cried out again, and though it was probably pointless, she began jumping up and down and waving her arms.  
  
"Are you the human Chloe Sullivan?" the voice asked.  
  
A smile split Chloe's face.  Joyfully she called again.  "Yes!  I'm here!"  
  
The voice replied, "I am Imra.  I am with Kal-El."  
  
"Clark?!" Chloe cried out.  She knew it!  She knew Clark would come.  
  
"Yes," Imra replied.  "I must go now, but I will return."  
  
Just as suddenly as she had appeared, the voice of Imra was gone.  
  
Chloe sank down to the "floor" again.  Tears started in her eyes again, but they were tears of relief.  
  


* * *

  
  
Still in the darkness of her mind, Chloe had found a new wall to jump over and hide again.  
  
Chloe wasn't sure how Imra had managed to contact her with Brainiac out there, but she wasn't going to stay exposed.  Chloe knew she had been lucky.  When she knocked the wall down to contact Imra, she had left herself exposed to Brainiac.  She didn't know why, but he hadn't come for her during those crucial exposed minutes.  She wasn't going to press her luck though, and had quickly found and hopped another wall.  
  
It was a good thing she did too, because later she felt Brainiac begin to stir on the other side of the wall.  He seemed to be sluggish, but she knew he would still be able to easily kill her "self."  
  
Hiding behind the walls was still her best option.  He didn't seem to realize the walls existed.  That "slickness" was still camouflaging them, and since he wasn't looking for the blocks, he passed them unseen.  She still ha no idea why these mental blocks were in place, but now she was grateful.  
  
"Chloe?"  
  
It was Imra's voice calling again.  
  
Chloe sensed that Brainiac was still not up to full working order, but knew he was once again slowly moving out there.  Did she dare break down this wall to reach out to the other woman again?  She would be exposed, and Brainiac was close.  
  
Imra's voice came again.  "Chloe?  Kal-El is with me.  Please come out.  We will try to remove the brain interactive construct, but we need you to reach us.  We need to bring you back."  
  
Without further thought, Chloe began battering the wall down as soon as Imra said Clark's Kryptonian name.  This was her shot.  When the wall fell, Chloe reached out a mental "hand" to the other woman.  
  
"I'm here!" Chloe cried.  "Tell Clark I'm here!"  
  
Then Chloe heard Clark's voice carried by Imra.  "Chloe?  Chloe, I'm here."  
  
"Clark!" she cried joyfully.  
  
"Chloe, we are going to try to get rid of Brainiac.  Just hang on," he said.  
  
 _Brainiac gone._ Chloe thought fast.  If Brainiac was gone and she was returned to control, she would be on the other side of the walls.  She would be on the "slick" side.  She would forget everything behind there.  She would forget Clark's secret, his power to help the world.  Most of all, she would forget her own part.  She would forget that she had actually made a difference.  She would go back to being nobody special.  
  
She felt Brainiac fighting in the distance.  This must be the effort to destroy him.  
  
If she broke down the walls, she would remember everything when she was back in control.  But if Clark and Imra failed to defeat Brainiac, she would have no where to run, nowhere to hide.  This would be her one and only shot.  
  
But she couldn't go back to not knowing.  There was really no other option.  That just wasn't who she was.  She would always choose to know.  
  
Chloe began pushing all the walls down from the inside.  Each one shattered like broken glass when it fell.  
  
She would _know_ or she would die.

* * *

  
  
A brilliant white and blue light lit up the dark world of Chloe's mind.  It burned through the blackness, pulling at the darkness, drawing it away.  
  
Chloe raced faster, pushing the walls down as fast as she could.  
  
 _God!  There were so many!_  
  
She heard Clark's voice again.  "Come on, Chloe.  Hang in there."  
  
He must not be able to feel her or sense her like Imra could.  He didn't know about the walls.  
  
Chloe just kept running and knocking the walls down, pushing thoughts of Clark aside for now.  
  


* * *

  
  
Racing against time, Chloe felt Brainiac being pulled away.  Bright light pulling at her.  It was pulling her out from behind the walls.  
  
 _No! Not yet!  I just need a few more moments!_ She cried mentally to Imra.  
  
But her cries went unheeded.  She was being pulled out into the light.  
  
She had gotten most of the walls, but a few still remained.  
  
Fighting the pull, Chloe scrabbled with her fingers at the edge of a wall.  It was useless, the power of the white pull was too great.  Her fingers slipped.  As she cried out, the only thing she could do was hope that whatever remained back behind the few unbroken walls wasn't something she would need to know.  
  
She burst into the light as she felt the last of Brainiac slip away.


	49. Chapter 49

_In the world Davis had created, Chloe was smiling at him from their marriage bed.  She said, "Aliens must have better recovery time than humans."  
  
His smile instantly vanished.  
  
Aliens.  
  
That was him.  He was the alien.  
  
He wasn't human.  
  
This wasn't real.  
  
He had forgotten._  
  
 _Looking out past the bed they had shared, he finally became aware of his surroundings again._  
  
The Beast stared back at him with red eyes.  
  
It had gotten free.  
  
The Beast stood watching him and Chloe from the corner of the room.  
  
With a twist of will, Davis changed the scene.  He looked around at the new scene.  He hadn't really thought about where to go except outside and somewhere safe.  
  
He and Chloe were now in a cornfield outside Smallville.  
  
Davis wasn't sure why this cornfield was significant, but he knew it was.  
  
He was also once again dressed in his paramedic uniform.  Chloe was behind him, dressed in a shirt and jeans.  She was gripping his hand tightly and staring at the monster with wide-eyed fear.

Davis had hoped that they would leave the monster behind.  No such luck.  The monster continued to stare at him and Chloe.  Then it looked around at the new scene with some interest.  It seemed to know this place too.  Then its red gaze fell back on them.  Or rather, on Chloe.  
  
"Chloe," its deep gravelly voice rumbled.  
  
"No!"  Davis cried and exerting his will again, called on the fabric of this world to once again encapsulate the monster.  
  
With a negligent sweep of one monstrous arm, it brushed away his effort like it was mist.  
  
Panting with the useless effort, Davis was at a loss.  He should have expected that The Beast wouldn't be beaten the same way twice.  Wasn't that its strength after all?  Immunity to what had defeated it?  
  
The monster rumbled and with great hulking strides charged towards them.  Looking back at Chloe's frightened face, Davis did the only thing he thought might buy her some time.  
  
"Run, Chloe!," he shouted.  Then he charged the monster.  
  
He had no idea what he was doing.  His only thought was to slow it down a few seconds so Chloe could escape.  
  


* * *

  
  
In the end it didn't matter what Davis had planned when he charged The Beast, because with a loud _CRACK_ the world splintered.  
  
The Beast, Davis, and Chloe all stopped and stared at the jagged, glowing white crack in the world.  White light pulsed along the edges of the world.  
  
Davis glanced at the monster which seemed just as confused as him.  Then, thinking fast, Davis turned around toward Chloe.  He grasped her hand and raced towards the crack.  
  
He lept through the crack into the blinding whiteness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worlds and wipes
> 
> So how do you like how I handled the unconscious worlds of Chloe and Davis? I felt it important to show how Davis was "supposed" to become Doomsday while in the chrysalis. I also wanted to give a reason for how he was able to break out that was connected to, but not permanently linked, to Brainiac. I also really wanted to explore how Chloe was freed from Jor-El's mind blocks. Also Brainiac and the Legion team all expected Chloe's self to be destroyed, so I wanted to explain how she survived. Leave it to Chloe to use something as awful as Clark's mind-rape to save herself.


	50. Chapter 50

Chloe heard Clark calling her name.  She felt a warm hand on her head.  She turned her head toward his voice and opened her eyes.  
  
He smiled at her in relief, "Chloe.  Hey.  Are you OK?"  
  
God, she felt exhausted.  She signed heavily.  "I'm fine."  Then because he was Clark and so worried, she smiled and said, "I definitely feel a whole lot dumber."  
  
She expected his wonderful warm smile in return, but instead his smile faltered and died into a sickly looking thing.  
  
 _What was that about?_  
  
Clark helped her to sit up.  
  
Looking around, it took her a second to realize she was in the Kent barn.  It was destroyed.  Sad, silent evidence of the destruction that had happened here.  A wave of desolation swept over her, and she raised pleading eyes to Clark.  She wanted him to hug her like he used to, but he didn't.  
  
In fact, he wasn't even looking at her anymore.  He was looking over her head and smiling.  She turned to follow his gaze.  A trio of leather-clad people stood off to the side.  Seeing the blonde girl, Chloe took a guess.  "Are you Imra?"  
  
The pretty blonde smiled.  "Yes."  
  
Finally remembering his manners, Clark introduced her to Rok and Garth and filled her in on their parts in saving her.  
  
She thanked them with as much warmth and energy as she could muster, but honestly, she was near dead with exhaustion.  
  
She raised pleading eyes to Clark.  "Can you take me home, please, Clark?  I'm too exhausted to drive."  
  
Clark looked anxious and opened and closed his mouth a few times.  _Seriously?  What was going on with him?_  
  
Rok stepped forward.  "We will see you home, Chloe Sullivan.  It is the least we can do."  
  
Chloe was too tired to care about his "least we can do" comment.  She just wanted sleep.  
  
Chloe tried to stay awake, she really did, but she was asleep before Rok had even carried her out of the barn.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Chloe Sullivan, you must wake up.  You are home."  
  
Chloe grumbled.  "Five more minutes..."  She snuggled down deeper.  
  
"Please, awake."  
  
She ignored the man rudely trying to wake he up.  
  
She couldn't ignore Imra's voice in her head.  "Chloe, please wake up.  We are at your home and we must depart."  
  
Chloe groggily opened her eyes and saw that Rok was still holding her.  Garth was grinning foolishly and Imra's eyes had a mischievous twinkle.  Chloe looked up and saw that Rok's face was...stoney.  She giggled at the pun.  She guessed he wasn't used to women sleeping on him.  He looked vastly uncomfortable.  
  
Seeing she was finally awake, Chloe saw relief enter his eyes, and he put her down.  Then she saw another problem, "Oh no, my keys, my purse..."  
  
With a smile, Imra held out the previously unnoticed purse to her.  Chloe took it gratefully.  
  
Flashing a still-sleepy smile she thanked them again, before turning to unlock the back door of The Talon.  She heard a noise and saw streaks of color in the sky.  
  
She waved and went inside.  
  


* * *

  
  
She was lucky, The Talon was closed and no one saw her make her way up to the apartment in a horribly stained, torn, and tragic wedding dress.  She must have looked like a zombie bride by now.  Tears stung her eyes, but she pushed them away.  She couldn't think of any of that now.  
  
Now was for sleep.  
  
It took some time getting the dress off by herself, and in the end her frustration won out and she ended up just shredding most of the buttons getting out of the dress.  
  
She looked down at the previously sexy underthings, also stained with blood and peeled them off as well.  
  
She briefly contemplated a shower, but didn't have the will for it.  
  
Instead, without even putting on pajamas, she collapsed into the bed.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis woke inside the crystal of the fortress.  He was still encased.  It was a sensation very like being buried alive.  
  
He tried to fight rising panic, as he cried out and pounded on the unyielding glossy surface.  
  
Deep within him, he felt The Beast.  Davis stopped pounding and tried to control his racing heart, but he was too terrified by his entombment.  Sweat broke out over his body and he began to shake.  
  
Out of the depths, The Beast rose and took over.  His body began to deform.  Davis screamed in fear and pain.  
  
Davis felt himself falling back into the depths, but not like before.  This was different.  He was aware now.  He felt.  He saw.  
  
The physical pain of the change was nothing compared to the waves of rage and hate that poured forth from the monster.  The Beast used that rage as fuel.  It pounded out of the solid crystal cage like it was the most delicate of glass and dropped heavily to the floor of the fortress.  
  
It searched.  Davis knew it searched for Chloe.  Or maybe for the thing that was controlling Chloe.  
  
There was no sign of her.  
  
Bashing its way out of the fortress, The Beast emerged into blinding sunshine over white snow.  
  
The Beast turned and shot south at superspeed, ignoring his mental passenger pounding away inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rok
> 
> I had to have some fun at Rok's expense here. He is so sure of himself in a place not his world, that I had to bring him down a peg or two. Even without trying, I can Chloe doing that. :)


	51. Chapter 51

Chloe spent the next several days trying to make sense of her life.  
  
For someone that had gone through so much to save her, Clark was surprisingly MIA.  Thankfully, Lois and Lana were able to fill her in on most of the gaps.  
  
Lois called and told her Jimmy was at a trauma hospital in Star City.  Lois had followed after him to be nearby when (Chloe chose not to even think _IF_ ) he awoke.  It had been touch and go for a while, but Jimmy had awoken shortly before Chloe herself had.  He had massive injuries and had go through several surgeries.  He would have to stay in Star City for weeks, before he could even be transferred to Metropolis.  Lois was now staying at a property owned by Queen International near the hospital in Star City.  In fact, she was now working there for the next few weeks.  She had somehow convinced Tess Mercer to put her on assignment.

  
Chloe smiled when she heard that.  Leave it to Lois to somehow end up better off after a monster attack than she was before.  All teasing aside, Chloe was incredibly touched by Lois dropping everything to look after her missing cousin's fian-- _husband.  
  
Husband, _Chloe reminded herself.  They were married now.  
  
Lana had filled her in on all the horrific details of what happened during and after Chloe's kidnapping at the wedding.  Chloe's own memory was sketchy.  Lois hadn't seen most of it.  Surprisingly, she been up at the house talking with Oliver when the attack went down, do didn't have as many details.  She also didn't know Clark's secret, so his being so easily knocked out wouldn't have been a surprise.  Lana knew everything and had seen all of the horror of the attack and aftermath.  
  
Chloe tried not to let the wave of grief overcome her when she thought of that.  The wedding had been a mistake.  She wasn't ready, and the reasons that she had been repeating to herself seemed shallow now.  Self-serving.  She hadn't married him because she wanted to share her life with him--Clark's secret would never allow that.  Now it sounded like she married him so she would have someone to come home to.  It wasn't fair, and if she had been in her right mind, she would have seen that and called it off.  She should never have gone through with it without really knowing why.  Now she knew everything, and knew it was the wrong choice.  Even worse, Jimmy had nearly been killed by her wrong choice.  If she had broken it off like she should have, he wouldn't have been there.  He wouldn't have been nearly torn in two by a nightmare monster.  
  
She would spend the rest of her life trying to make it up to him.  She may not have been in her right mind when she went into this marriage, but she had done it anyway.  Now that she was whole again, she would do everything she could to make it work -- for Jimmy's sake.  She owed him that much.  
  
Chloe would drive out to Star City in a few days to see him.  Lois had already told her that she would stay on as long as she was needed, but Chloe wanted to see Jimmy with her own eyes.  After seeing Jimmy, Chloe planned to return to Metropolis and use the Isis resources to try and track down The Beast.  That was something she could do, even without her Brainiac enhanced mind.  
  
What the hell had that monster been?  She didn't think it was a meteor freak.  So other kind of alien?  She should see if Clark had any ideas.  
  
That was another decision she made.  She wouldn't tell Clark about her weird memory blocks after Brainiac had been removed.  He would likely freak out, and since she was better, she didn't see a reason to worry him.  She had already told Lois she was all better, and if _she_ was willing to say OK and drop it, then that worked for Chloe.  
  
Though it was odd that Clark never said anything about her acting off...maybe because she had only seen him with other people around?  
  
Chloe knew there were still some blocks in her mind, but she hadn't been able to find them.  That meant that since she didn't know where to look, she didn't see them.  She didn't have any memory of her kidnapping once she ran behind the mental blocks, but she expected that was because she wasn't "driving" so to speak.  She would just have to hope that the blocks that remained didn't hide anything too important.  
  
The memories of her wedding though, _those_ she wished she could block out.  
  
Her cellphone beeped next to her.  It had been doing that routinely, reminding her that she had voicemails she hadn't listened to yet.  
  
Voicemails from Davis.  
  
She still didn't know what to do about him.  Even though it was the wrong decision, she had committed herself to Jimmy.  
  
Her fingers moved to her lips as she thought about the last time she had seen him.  That wonderful, warm meeting of lips.  
  
 _No!!_ She shook herself to break the spell.  Before her resolve could break, she dialed voicemail.  She had listened to one message on the day of the Wedding, but there were more.  She ran through and deleted all of them unheard.  
  
She would be a good wife to Jimmy.  That meant no more distractions from sexy EMT's.  She would offer Davis friendship, but that was all.  If he couldn't mange with just that, then she would walk away.  
  
Even if it broke her heart.

* * *

  
  
When Clark finally did come to check on her a few days later, it was much stranger than she expected.  He was acting...off.  
  
She was packing for the drive out to Star City to see Jimmy when Clark finally put in his appearance.  She had long ago gotten used to him showing up with no warning, so her only thought was _Oh, good, he can help carry the bags._  
  
"It's nice to see the kinder, gentler Chloe."  
  
She smiled.  Apparently Brainiac-Chloe had tried to mind-wipe the world.  Lana had filled her in on that too.  "Nothing like having a binary badguy cleansed from your system to put a spring back in your step."  Finishing with the suitcase, she moved to the kitchen.  "But I'll feel even better once I get to Star City to see my husband. I'm gonna relieve Lois of her nurse's duties."  
  
 _How long will it take for me to not feel weird saying "husband?"  Until I stop feeling guilty?_  
  
"It was nice of Lois to take care of Jimmy. Though, I think he'd rather have his temperature taken by you," Clark replied.  
  
Chloe wasn't entirely convinced of that, but she would do her best to be a good and dutiful wife.  Would Jimmy blame her like she blamed herself?  "Yeah, I'm just glad he's ok.  From what I hear, he was lucky to make it past that creature alive," she said instead.  
  
"Whatever that destroyer was, I haven't seen a sign of him since. He was definitely linked to Brainiac, though,"  Clark said.  
  
Chloe had come against the same wall of nothing in her own searches.  "Well, hopefully, he was powered down along with Brainiac."  
  
Then suddenly, Clark asked, "So how's your memory?"  
  
That innocent-seeming question put Chloe's mind into hyper-drive.  
  
 _Did he know about my other bout of memory loss?  If so, why hadn't he told me?  No, Clark wouldn't keep that a secret from me.  He must be asking because of Brainiac's takeover._  
  
She would continue to downplay the second wave.  
  
"It's fine. Up until "Here Comes the Bride." Then it's all a bit of a blur."  
  
"You don't remember anything unusual about me?" he asked hopefully.  _Why was he hopeful?_  
  
She knew her confusion showed, but he just kept looking hopeful.  "Are we talking about your secret?  Clark, what in the world would make me forget that?"  She thought she sounded appropriately confused and disbelieving.  
  
 _Now why did he look disappointed?  Did he hope I didn't know his secret?  That makes no sense.  Must be missing something..._  
  
"Chloe, you've been through a lot lately."  
  
"It would take a lot more than Brainiac to wipe that from my memory."  He had the oddest expression, so she changed the subject.  
  
Later, she still couldn't make heads or tails of the weird conversation.  
  


* * *

  
  
Eventually, The Beast's rage ran out and the monster slipped back into the darkness.  Davis became himself again.  Looking around, he tried to figure out where he was.  
  
A cornfield.  
  
 _A cornfield?  That had come up in the Fortress program too.  What was the significance?_  
  
He realized that for now it didn't matter.  He needed to know where he was _now_ and how to get home.  
  
Looking down, he tried to assess what he had.  His shirt was gone, but he still actually had his pants, though they were badly shredded.  Pants!  That meant he might still have... _YES!!_  
  
His wallet was still in his back pocket.  He had money.  He also pulled out a blister pack of pills, which he ignored and put back in his pocket.  
  
He had found that being stranded, naked, and money-less wasn't a fun experience.  
  
Ignoring the chill in the air on his bare torso, he started walking.  The cold didn't seem to bother him anymore.  There was a sign ahead.  
  
 **Welcome to Smallville!**  
  
Smallville!  The Beast had taken him to Smallville?  Was that because of Chloe?  That thing in the fortress had taken her over.  Had The Beast been trying to get back to her?  
  
He stood by the side of the road and contemplated what to do.  He turned when he heard a vehicle pull up behind him.  
  
"You OK there, son?" the driver of the truck asked.

* * *

  
  
Standing on the sidewalk in downtown Smallville, Davis waved goodbye to Ben as he drove away.  The kindly farmer had accepted Davis' excuse of friends playing a prank on him as explanation for his torn clothing and wandering around a cornfield.  The driver had introduced himself as Ben Hubbard, and offered Davis a ride into to town, which Davis had gladly accepted.  
  
Turning, he faced The Talon.  She was there!  
  
He ducked behind a lamppost so he could observe Chloe unseen.  She was carrying a small suitcase and a grocery type bag out to her car.  She was moving like herself, not that strange stiff movement he had seen in the fortress.  
  
Then he saw Clark race out from The Talon behind her, carrying another bag.  Chloe turned to him with a smile and took the bag from him.  They chatted for a few moments, and even though Davis couldn't hear them, he could see by their faces that it was normal and friendly.  
  
Not at all like Not-Chloe in the fortress.  
  
Could it be that the thing was gone from her, just like the other thing seemed to leave Lois?  If that was the case, then Chloe probably had no memory of what happened in the fortress.  
  
That was best.  
  
Davis also knew it was best if he stayed away from her.  He knew what he was now.  He couldn't put her in danger like that.  
  
Should he say goodbye?


	52. Chapter 52

Davis had to learn to control The Beast.  He had no idea how to begin, but he thought isolation was best.  
  
By luck, he stumbled upon a possible solution when he finally got back to Metropolis from his stop in Smallville.  He decided he needed to put in for a leave of absence from work.  He knew he had dropped off the face of the earth, missing several shifts due to the events of the last few days.  There would be hell to pay.  He thought it best if he went to the hospital in person to request a leave of absence.

First he would stop home and get cleaned up.  


* * *

  
  
After a very unpleasant talk with his boss, Davis was granted the leave of absence.  He had actually decided to tell a _small_ part of the truth and say he would be getting help for mental disability.  They were required to grant the leave by contract.  
  
He was also relieved to find no signs that any other Met Gen EMT's were missing.  The ambulance drivers The Beast had killed must have been from another hospital.  
  
The stress of the meeting had Davis on edge and he was gulping breaths to try and remain calm as he walked through the hospital.  
  
He reached into his pocket for his keys and a pack of pills fell out.  He didn't know why he had brought them with him, but now that he was at the hospital, a plan formed.  He peered at them curiously.  They were in a blister pack, not street drugs.  Turning them over he read the ingredients.  He recognized them now as anti-psychotics for the treatment of multiple personalities.  
  
Could they help him?  
  
He popped a few from the pack and swallowed them dry.  
  
In a remarkably short time, he felt more stable.  
  
Detouring back the way he came, he decided to make a quick stop to the Dispensary and pick up more packs.  


* * *

  
  
Back at his apartment, Davis prepaid rent for the next two months and told his landlord he would be traveling.  
  
He packed a duffel bag and went out to his car.  He had left the bag from from the hospital in his car trunk.  It held a large supply of several kinds of anti-psychotics.  He drove to the highway with no particular destination in mind except _away._

* * *

  
  
That was the first night in his life that Davis ever went camping.  He was surprised he liked it.  It was peaceful under the stars.  He resolved to get a book about constellations.  
  
He was in a remote wood outside some town with no name.  He had just gotten off the highway randomly and followed a road until it ended here.  He wasn't sure if the was still Kansas or not, but it was quiet and the stars glittered like diamonds in the fall air.  He watched his breath mist.  He found he didn't really get cold anymore now.  Maybe his time in the fortress had made him immune to freezing?  He wasn't sure.  
  
Davis finally took the time under the silence of the stars to think.  
  
Was his new resistance to cold part of his adaptive immunity?  Was that a Kryptonian trait?  Or was that a result of Doomsday's power?  He knew so little of his home planet or people.  Only what he picked up during the crystal program.  
  
Not-Chloe had said he was supposed to stay in the crystal for twelve days, and when he emerged he would be Doomsday.  But that hadn't happened.  By his reckoning, he had been in the crystal about two days.  
  
His time in the fortress stripped away the last of his belief that he was anything other than an alien.  His last shred of hope was gone.  He wasn't human.  In fact, he knew he wasn't even fully _himself_ anymore.  That time in the crystal world running through the program had altered him.  He still had to figure out how he was changed.  
  
He scratched at his arm.  His skin kept itching, like it was too tight.  
  
He popped another pill.  
  
Running through the events of that crystal world, he tried to focus on what had saved him there.  Maybe that would save him here.  The things that gave him the strength to fight back in there had been Chloe and himself.  
  
He thought of Chloe as he had last seen her.  Looking drawn, but still smiling as she loaded the car in Smallville.  He had done a quick check of the online newspapers and read about what he-- _No!  The Beast!_ \--had done to her wedding.  He knew about Jimmy now, and expected that she had been heading to Star City.  He couldn't put her through more pain.  He also didn't know how The Beast would react to her.  It had acted strangely around her in the crystal program.  It was all just too dangerous for her.  She would be safer this way.  
  
At least until he found a permanent way to manage the monster.  
  
He knew he was probably wrong to hold onto hope, but he refused to consider a future without Chloe in it at all.  He had tried that before.  He wouldn't do it again.  He knew they could be _more_.  
  
The Beast within him was quieted by the drugs.  He could almost believe he was human.  
  
He slept.

* * *

  
  
The next day, Davis left the woods and chose another road at random.  
  
He was absolutely floored when he saw the sign for the town.  
  
 **Welcome to Smallville!**  
  
How the hell had he managed to navigate back here?  
  
He turned the car around and drove away from Smallville again.

* * *

  
  
The next few weeks for Davis were a dizzying pulse of ups and downs as he tried to find ways to manage The Beast.  It was always there now, waiting.  Davis found that he could sometimes tap into The Beast for power, but it was a risky experience.  Doomsday could grant his human form enormous strength and speed, but only when it was close to the surface.  Davis was afraid to tap that power for fear of releasing the monster.  He expected his regeneration and invulnerability worked the same way.  He could still take wounds in his human state, but his body would tap into the monster and heal. The invulnerability was his body channeling the monster directly to protect itself from a known threat.  
  
Davis kept trying to get away from people, but something kept pulling him back.  Sometimes it was physical, like his skin getting so painfully itchy he scratched himself raw.  Eventually his body adapted and he could no longer tear his flesh with his nails.  
  
Sometimes the pull came as nightmares.  He thought he might be having memories of times when Doomsday had been in control and Davis had blacked out.  They were terrible, bloody visions.  
  
He would feel better for a bit if he moved back into civilization, which was mostly around Smallville or Metropolis.  He was afraid to go further while he was still being pulled so strongly.  
  
Was it because of Chloe?  She had been taken over by that thing in the fortress.  After that, the monster had reacted to her very strangely in that training world.  Not to mention the pull she had for Davis himself.  Not-Chloe said their connection was a program.  That was a lie.  The fact that he had been able to use his love for Chloe as a weapon proved it was real feeling.  It didn't make sense that a program used to pull him to the fortress, would be able to break him free as well.  
  
But love could do that.  
  
He felt Doomsday growl within him and took another pill.  They were the only thing that seemed to work consistently so far, but they were becoming less effective.  He was trying to figure out a dosage, but he thought he might be building an immunity.  
  
Then what would he do?  
  
He was trying everything he could think of.  Killing himself had been a painful and fruitless effort.  He stopped because he feared making the creature stronger.  
  
So instead he was stabbing in the dark.  He tried not sleeping or eating.  That had gone especially badly.  It had taken six pills to tame the monster into a stupor.  
  
He tried meditation.  That wasn't too bad, but he couldn't spend his whole life focusing like that.  
  
He tried drugging himself into an almost comatose sleep, but couldn't face the nightmares.  
  
Getting drunk had mixed results.  Sometimes it was better, and sometimes worse.  The monster could sometimes be soothed, but again, if he passed out, the nightmares were much worse.  
  
Masturbation was actually oddly effective.  He wondered if because when his mind was filled with thoughts of Chloe, there wasn't room for the monster's hate.  He didn't bother to fantasize about lesser women.  Pleasant as _that_ may be though, he couldn't do that indefinitely either.  
  
Maybe he could take a lesson from it though.  Maybe he needed something to fill his mind and his time.  
  
Being alone out in the woods wasn't working.  
  
Maybe it was time to return to Metropolis.


	53. Chapter 53

Chloe felt like she was juggling with one ball too many.  The last few weeks hard been an insane rush from one thing to another.  She was splitting her time between Smallville, Metropolis, and Star City.  
  
Thank God for Oliver and his jet.  He let her take it whenever it wasn't otherwise needed to fly from Smallville or Metropolis to Star City and see Jimmy.  He was in really bad shape.  They had him on serious narcotics, but he still complained of pain.  Doomsday's attack had broken something inside of him beyond flesh and bone.  He was different.  She only rarely saw flashes of the boy she loved.  Mostly, when he wasn't doped up, he was surly.   However, he did actually seem to find comfort in her presence.  So she tried to be there as much as her search for Doomsday, work at Isis, and the side projects for Oliver would allow.  
  
Then J'onn was shot.  That took priority over lonely husband.  Though she would try to return before he awoke if she could.  She did what she could to track down what might have gotten J'onn shot.  
  
She couldn't help it though, when she said, "You know, I got to say, being at the mercy of modern technology really sucks."  Then when she saw Clark's look, she had to soften it.  "I know, I know.  I'm happy to be Brainiac-free. But my evil upgrade was really...convenient."  
  
She couldn't believe Clark though when he said, "I'm just glad everything's back to normal."  
  
Normal?  Things hadn't been normal since sixth grade.  It said something when a Martian shooting was "normal."  Instead she said, "So it would seem."  
  
Since she finally had a few minutes with Clark, she took the opportunity to press him about Lana and Lois.  She owed it to Lois, still in Star City, to try and protect her.  That felt good.  She just hoped that whatever Clark and Lana figured out didn't hurt her cousin.  
  


* * *

  
  
When Lana suddenly packed up her things from The Talon and moved to the Kent Farm, Chloe really wished she had a friend to talk to about it.  She was worried for how this would hurt Lois.  She was also concerned for how Clark and Lana would handle it if things went south again.  
  
She really needed a friend that could be objective.  Everyone she knew was either involved, or couldn't be impartial.  
  
God, she missed Davis.  She hadn't spoken to him since he had kissed her.  After deleting his messages, she felt weird about calling him.  She had hoped to "run into him" at the hospital by visiting J'onn, but the former Martian had been released before she got back back from Star City.  That took away her excuse to be at Met Gen.  
  
Should she just break down and call?  
  


* * *

  
  
She was surprised when Oliver Queen finally gave her the opportunity to try her "just stopped by" plan after nearly getting blown up by Toyman.  She wasn't sure why he had called her, but she owed him.  She headed out for Met Gen immediately.  
  
Unfortunately, when she got to the hospital, she didn't see Davis anywhere.  She broke down and asked the duty nurse if he was on shift.  
  
"Oh, Davis is on a leave of absence."  
  
 _What?_ _He left town without telling her?_ Panic clawed in her belly.  _Was this because of her?  What if she never saw him again?_  
  
She tried to make her voice sound normal when she asked, "Oh, really?  Do you know when he will be back?"  
  
The nurse looked genuinely contrite when she replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't share that information."  
  
She couldn't help it though, when she burst out, "But he is coming back, right?"  
  
The nurse looked at her oddly, and Chloe saw her eyes flick to her brand-new wedding ring.  The nurse's eyes grew disapproving.  
  
Chloe knew that if she had any hope of a real answer, she had to try a different tactic.  "Because I sent him a thank you card for the lovely wedding gift, but I have an old address for him.  I don't want him to think we weren't thankful for the..."  
  
 _Crap, crap, crap, what would Davis have given for a gift?_ He hadn't given them one of course.  
  
"...sterling silver nut bowl."  She finished lamely.  
  
The nurse must have bought it though, because she smiled indulgently.  "Can't have too many of those."  
  
"Yeah," Chloe smiled back sheepishly.  
  
Convinced, the nurse decided to be helpful and began typing on the computer.  "Well, he didn't leave a forwarding address, so I presume he will be back."  Glancing up at Chloe, she said, "Though I can't give out address information.  I suggest you just call him directly and explain the mix up.  I can give you his extension here."  
  
"That would be great."  
  
Chloe was relieved that she wasn't caught, but the nurse's reaction did put it into perspective.  She couldn't go hunting around for him.  Maybe she should just bite the bullet and try the direct approach.  He had called, she was the one that didn't reply.  
  
Hitching her bag on her shoulder, she gave herself a mental pep talk.  She had every right to call a friend.  Yes, he had kissed her and said some things that still gave her shivers in the night, but she was married now.  Bad idea or not, she was married, and they would be just friends.  
  
Or nothing.  
  
God, please don't come to that...  
  
She made her way down to Oliver's room.


	54. Chapter 54

God, what a week.  
  
Chloe dropped her bag on the floor as soon as she entered her apartment.  Then she did something that she almost never did.  
  
She locked the door.

Stripping off her coat, she dropped it on the bar chair in the kitchen and started fishing around in the cabinets.  She needed alcohol big time.  She found a bottle of brandy.  Not really her favorite, she mainly used it for spiking ice cream, but it was something she could drink straight.  She grabbed a glass and poured a large measure of the booze.  Then she took the bottle with her and flopped down on the couch.  She took a large drink and only coughed a little.  
  
She needed to wrap her mind around everything, but she also needed the numbing effect of the booze.  So she sipped and let her mind drift until she started feeling fuzzy.  
  
She had kept things from Clark that ended up hurting others, but she wasn't sure that was wrong.  She had kept her promise to Lana and concealed her earlier visit, and it looked like that ended up being good.  Lana had taken on the Prometheus suit and gained superpowers.  Lana and Clark could finally be together on an even field.  
  
Then Lana had absorbed the kryptonite bomb, rendering her poisonous to Clark.  They had both been heartbroken.  Lana spent last night here crying on Chloe's couch.  Something made Chloe think that Lana would never return back to Smallville after this.  It would be too painful for her. Besides, with her new powers, she could do greater good out in the world.  
  
But that didn't stop Chloe from knowing she would miss her friend.  Of course they could talk, but it wouldn't be the same.  People drifted with distance.  
  
Sometimes they drifted even without distance.  
  
She knew that Clark was incredibly angry with her for trying to hide the investigation into the Toyman that she had been doing for Oliver.  She had come clean, but the toll it had wrecked on him thanks to that bomb was enormous.  He had saved thousands, but at terrible personal cost.   Chloe wondered if he would blame her for setting him on that trail.  
  
But she was still keeping secrets from him for his own good.  And her own.  And even Oliver's.  
  
Oliver had been the one to kill Lex, but she had agreed to let Clark think it was Toyman.  Her conscience told her it was wrong to let Toyman take the fall, but the world was better off with Green Arrow free.  Toyman was a killer...just not of Lex.  She knew she should feel bad that a man had died, but she really just felt relieved.  The Lex she had known and partnered with had been gone for years.  The Lex that Oliver killed was a threat, and now he was gone.  
  
Kind of like Sebastian Kane.  
  
Chloe took another big drink.  
  
Her memories of the time Brainiac inhabited her were now restored, but could be confusing and fuzzy.  She hadn't remembered what happened to Sebastian until Oliver had dragged that memory into the light.  Or to be more accurate, blackmailed her with it.  Examining the memory, she wasn't really sure what happened.  She saw herself using her Brainiac-infected mind to overload Sebastian's brain.  Was it her, or Brainiac that did it, though?  Her natural reaction was always to protect Clark, but would she kill for him?  She honestly didn't know.  She could be happy that a threat was dead.  Was that the same?  Had Brainiac read her desire and stepped in and done what she couldn't?  Why would he?  But then, she didn't know why he had done half the things he did.  
  
So was she a killer? An accomplice?  
  
Would she ever know for sure either way?  
  
She took another big drink, draining the glass.  She refilled it.  
  
Should she get something to eat?  She thought about the selection of microwave meals in the freezer.  Then she peered at the amber liquid in the glass.  Nothing she had would go well with the liquor.  She decided to skip dinner.  
  
Instead, she picked up the remote control and flipped on the TV.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe was feeling no pain.  
  
She had come to the conclusion that even knowing what she knew now, she had made the best choices she could at the time.  Secrets might drive Clark crazy, but other people had a right to them just as much as he did.  She would keep Oliver's secret.  And she would keep her own.  
  
But now she was drunk and bored and lonely.  She looked at the clock.  It was almost 3am.  
  
 _Crap!_ She had meant to call Davis.  She had come to that conclusion before being pulled into the Toyman crisis.  Then that had taken over, and then she had been comforting Lana last night.  She had wanted to call him tonight, but then Oliver's confession and blackmail had distracted her again.  
  
Now it was way to late to call.  
  
Or was it?  He was an EMT.  So he was always working weird hours.  Could he be awake?  
  
No, she told herself.  Chloe Sullivan does NOT drunk dial.  
  
So why was the phone ringing in her ear?  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe awoke with a nauseous stomach and a pounding head.  She was also curled up in her bathtub.  The noise that had awoken her went off again.  
  
 _What the hell...?_  
  
 _Oh._ It was her cell phone.  She tried to get up but almost fell over.  Her clothes were all tangled.  Her shirt was half over her head, but seemed to have gotten caught on her bra which was twisted around her arm.  Her skirt was backwards and her panties were around her knees.  
  
Had she tried to get undressed and then passed out in the tub?  Falling back, her hand gripped the tub edge.  The metal of the old clawfoot tub was delightfully cool.  She groaned and leaned her head against the cool hard edge.  
  
The noise went off again.  
  
 _Oh.  That._  
  
Her cell was ringing.  
  
She draped her arm over the tub side and felt around until she found the phone.  
  
She pushed the button to answer, and tried to speak, but her mouth was full of cotton.  At least it felt that way.  Her moved her jaw to try to get some moisture around her mouth until she could speak.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"CHLOE!  WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Lois screamed in her ear.  
  
Chloe clutched at her pounding head.  
  
"Lois?" she said very, very quietly.  
  
"SERIOUSLY CHLOE!  YOU CALLED ME LIKE THREE TIMES AT FOUR AM!"  
  
Chloe winced again.  "Lois, please speak softer.  My head is pounding."  
  
"Oh, sorry.  I've certainly been there."  Then Lois started laughing.  "Wait.  So does this mean you _drunk-dialed_ me?"  
  
"Wait, what?  I called you last night?"  
  
"Yeah, like I said.  Three times."  
  
Chloe felt distinctly foolish.  "Um, sorry, Lo."  
  
"It's fine.  I've been there too.  Though I would suggest you check your call log.  You may need to fall on your sword a bit."  
  
Chloe grimaced, then winced.  The expression hurt.  
  
"So why did you get so blinding drunk?  That isn't like you." Lois asked.  
  
"Rough week."  
  
"Need to talk about it?"  
  
"Not right now."  
  
"OK.  I just wanted to check on you.  The voicemails you left were really weird and rambling."  
  
"Yeah, sorry, Lo."  
  
"Like I said, no problem.  Get some water and aspirin.  Call me later if you want.  Love you!"  
  
"Love you, too."  
  
Chloe did as Lois suggested.  She couldn't think of food yet, but the water was very welcome.  Finally she steeled herself and checked her outgoing calls.  
  
Clark twice.  Lana once.  Lois three times.  Even Oliver once.  
  
No Jimmy though, which was surprising.  
  
Davis Bloome, four times.  
  
Oh no.  What must he be thinking?  She hasn't spoken to him for weeks and then calls him four times in the middle of the night?  He would probably think she was crazy.  
  
He probably won't ever want to speak to her again.  
  
She checked how long each call lasted.  Only a minute or two.  How much damage could she do in two minutes?  
  
Voicemails, Lois had said.  Oh dear God.  She had left him drunken middle-of-the-night voicemails.  
  
 _Please don't let him check them..._


	55. Chapter 55

Davis' phone chirped once he got back into cell service range.  Then it chirped again.  
  
He had voicemails.  He would wait until he got back to his apartment to listen to them.  He knew better than to drive on while his cell, after all.  An EMT saw too many results of that.  
  


* * *

 

He had been away from his apartment for almost three weeks, as he lived in the woods trying to control the monster inside.  He wasn't any closer to doing so then he was weeks ago, but he still found himself happy to be home.  
  
His phone chirped at him again.  _Oh right.  Voicemail._  
  
He had two voicemails from Ann, his friend that ran the teen home asking if he was back yet.  One voicemail telling him they could fix his debt.  Another was from one of his EMT buddies.  
  
Then he heard her.  
  
Chloe had called him.  
  
He sat on the arm of his couch as he heard her for the first time since before the nightmare of her wedding.  His time with Not-Chloe and his stalking her across the street didn't count.  This was his Chloe speaking to him.  
  
After the first few words, he pulled the phone from his ear and looked at it incredulously.  She sounded more than a bit drunk.  
  
"Davis, it's Chloe.  I know we haven't talked since before my wedding, but I had hoped to get hold of you.  You are my friend, and I miss you.  Yeah, so, anyway.  Call me.  It's Chloe.  Chloe Sullivan."  
  
Then the automated voicemail last told him the time and date of the call.  He looked at the phone incredulously again.  She had called at 3am last night?  
  
He was ready to hang up, when his phone announced another voicemail.  
  
It was Chloe again, but this call was very different from the last.  
  
He listened through the message.  When it was done, his breathing was ragged.  He keyed the number to replay the message, then started fumbling with his belt.


	56. Interlude 4

According to the voicemail lady, Chloe left her second voicemail around 4am the previous night.  He might have been more surprised by the thought of her drunk dialing him, if he wasn't so incredibly turned on.  
  
He'd never imagined getting a call like that from Chloe.  At least not right now.  
  
 _Dammit!_ Had his belt always been this difficult?!  His body was pulsing with need after hearing her message.

He hit replay on his phone as he finally got his belt open and his fly down.  His shaft sprang free just as her voice started again.  
  
"Davis, I dream about you sometimes."  
  
Davis groaned and began to stroke himself.  
  
"I dream what it would be like to have you inside me."  
  
Her voice was thick and low.  Her words coming out breathy and slow.  He could hear clothes rustle.  
  
"I also sometimes think about the choices I've made and how I should have done them differently."  
  
Her voice had a little catch.  
  
"So many things I should have done differently."  
  
Her voice rose a bit.  He heard more clothes rustle and a wet sort of smacking noise.  
  
"But I'm married now.  And things between us can never be different.  We can't be more than friends."  
  
She groaned and the noises were faster.  
  
"You can't kiss me again.  I can't let you kiss me again."  
  
Her voice was rising, and she was panting heavily.  So was he.  His hand moving along his hard shaft as she panted in his ear.  
  
"But I can still dream.  Even when you are just my friend.  Even if you never know how hard that is for me too."  
  
"I can still... have... this... Gah!!!"  
  
She cried out and the call ended.  She had reached the end of the allotted message time.  
  
Davis exploded as the voicemail lady listed his call options.


	57. Chapter 57

After he recovered, Davis was extremely confused.  Chloe had left him a message saying how they could only be friends.  But she had also said she missed him and dreamed of him in something way more than a friendly manner.  
  
While masturbating.  On his voicemail.  
  
God, what was he supposed to do?  
  
As if he didn't already have enough problems, now this.

He was trying to rein in an alien killing machine, while at the same time the woman he loved was telling him she could only be friends.  
  
While masturbating.  On his voicemail.  
  
He couldn't do it.  It was too much.  He couldn't be just friends knowing how she really felt.  
  
The monster inside rumbled in... agreement?  
  
He should keep away from her.  He was too dangerous.  Eventually, he would slip and do something distinctly not-friend-like, like kiss her again.  Or worse.  The monster could emerge if he lost control because of something between her and Jimmy.  He would never hurt her, but he might hurt someone else.  
  
It was too much risk.  He knew it now.  
  
He wouldn't call her back.  He would never speak of these messages if he saw her.  He would never let her know that he knew that she regretted her choice.  
  
He had been wrong to tell her he would wait for her.  He should try to move on.  It was for the best.  
  
But not just yet.  He hit the key to replay her message again.  
  
Not just yet.  
  


* * *

  
Chloe looked in consternation at her phone.  
  
Stupid thing was obviously broken.  It had been days since she had called him.  A broken phone was the only explanation for why Davis hadn't called her back.  
  
She still had no idea if she had actually left him a message or not, but he would have seen she had called him four times.  Right?  
  
So why hadn't he called back?  
  
Phone must be broken.  
  
On the bright side, Lois was getting back to Metropolis today and Jimmy would be transferred to Met Gen in a bit over a week.  All her people were returning back to her life here.  
  
And the monster hadn't been sighted since the wedding.  
  
Maybe life could finally get back to normal soon.  
  
Well, normal for Smallville.


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally leave my notes at the end of the chapter, but I thought it was important to set expectation for my timeline as our story moves into Infamous. This episode had an interesting challenge since it involves time travel. During the original timeline, there is a pivotal talk between Davis and Chloe. When the timeline is reset by Clark's use of the Legion ring, this talk is wiped out. So my challenge was to line up my story to show what would have led our characters to have the original conversation, while at the same time moving the story forward using the reset timeline.
> 
> In the original conversation the most interesting points I wanted to explain were:  
> \--Chloe asks when Davis got back. This indicates she had tried and failed to get in touch with him.  
> \--Chloe doesn't remember the events of the fortress, and Davis assumes she doesn't remember. This indicates he somehow looked into it.  
> \--Davis was gone for several weeks before returning to Metropolis.  
> \--Chloe offers friendship only to Davis.  
> \--Davis says the just being friends won't ever be enough for him.  
> \--Davis says that "a friendship like ours can be dangerous." Chloe walks away from a devastated looking Davis when he rejects just being friends.
> 
> In the reset timeline, we learn that Davis and Chloe have been in touch between his return to Metropolis in Infamous and the events of Turbulence. You'll see how in later chapters.
> 
> I hope that the last few chapters of my story show how the original conversation could have happened, but moving forward, this story will be using the reset timeline. Enjoy!
> 
> *****************************

The last of his pills ran out yesterday.  He wouldn't be back at work for another two days.  
  
Davis knew he was in trouble.  He knew he should have done a better job rationing the pills, but they had become less and less effective.  
  
Now they were gone.  He was frantically repacking a bag.  If he couldn't stop the change, he wanted to be away from people when it hit.  He would return when he could get more drugs from the hospital.  Until then, all he could do was pray that he could hold out.  
  
He was almost to his car when The Beast started to claw his way up again.  Sweat popped up all over his body.  His body began to shake.  Davis took great gulping breaths and concentrated, trying to push it back, but it was no use.  The Beast had been suppressed too long.  Davis cried out in pain as Doomsday took over, splitting his skin and his soul.  
  
Then Davis knew only blackness.  


* * *

  
  
Davis awoke in another alley.  He was laying in a puddle as rain beat down.  He was soaked and shivering.  He was grateful to be wearing most of his clothes.  Memories of his time as Doomsday came back.  It hadn't been a bad change.  He had killed a stray dog, but that was it.  The blood was already washed away by the downpour.  
  
Overall, Davis considered himself lucky this change had gone so well.  
  
He picked himself up from the ground and started to find his way home.  
  
He started work tomorrow.  He would get more pills then.

* * *

  
  
Davis was in the Dispensary loading up on pills when the dark-haired nurse entered.  She caught him red-handed as he stashed the pills into his pocket.  
  
"Can I ask you what you're doing?" she asked him accusingly.  
  
"Davis Bloome -- I'm one of the EMTs."  He gave her the smile that women seemed to like so much.  
  
She looked at him strangely, then surprised him again.  "Oh, well, there's actually a patient who's looking for you."  
  
 _Huh?_ A patient looking for him?  He had been gone for weeks.  Who could it be?

* * *

  
  
Davis was shocked that the patient the nurse mentioned was actually being held in the criminal containment ward.  The chart said her name was Linda Lake.  The name didn't ring any bells.  
  
He knew there was definitely a mix up when he saw the unfamiliar blonde woman strapped to the gurney.  
  
"Uh, there must be some mistake. I don't know you."  
  
Even strapped down, the woman reminded him of a snake.  Then she showed her fangs.  "Well, I've been puddling around Metropolis for the last week.  I've seen lots of interesting stories. What a nice surprise to stumble upon your dirty little secret."  
  
 _No, no way she could know..._  
  
She continued.  "Painful breathing, pale complexion...unsightly bone protrusions."  She smiled viciously.  
  
 _Oh no..._ He closed the door to the room.  His hands were shaking with fear.  She _knew._  
  
He knew it was probably fruitless, but he tried to deny it.  "You don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Right. You just have a terrible _skin condition_."  
  
Fear was being replaced by something else.  The monster inside could feel his weakness.  "What do you want from me?"  
  
She smiled in triumph.  "I want you to release the beast and break me out of these restraints."  
  
She clearly had no idea what he was truly capable of.  She must have just seen that last transformation.  At the time he considered himself lucky that it had caused so little damage.  He had been wrong.  
  
"It doesn't exactly work like that."  He began popping pills from the fresh pack.  The monster was clawing harder now.  
  
"Don't waste your time with the pills. I've seen what you can do."  She sounded _pleased._  
  
He could feel his body starting to shift.  He dropped one of the pills.  His voice was different. "You don't understand. You don't know what you're dealing with!"  
  
"No. You don't understand. I can't spend another second trapped in a cell. Do you want me to tell Chloe who you really are?" she spat back at him.  
  
 _How does she know about Chloe?_  
  
The monster seized on the weakness.  Davis fell as his body started deforming more rapidly.  His vision went red.  
  
The woman purred to him.  "That's a good boy. Become the thing you're meant to be."  
  
He tried one last time.  "Stop!"  
  
She cooed, "Let it go."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Set me free!" she screeched.  
  
Chloe couldn't know.  What would she threaten next?  Would she _hurt_ Chloe?  It was too much.  For once he and The Beast were in agreement.  They would set her free, alright...  
  
He lept up, and seized upon the pillow behind her head.  He smashed it into her face with such force the gurney collapsed back.  She struggled, but he easily kept the pillow over her face.  
  
It felt surprisingly good.  
  
The monster inside began to pull back, content.  
  
The red drained from his eyes as she ceased her struggles and went silent.  
  
Davis came back to himself and released the pillow.  He moved it aside to see the woman's face.  She was dead.  He had killed her.  He stared in horror.  
  
"Oh my God."  
  
He put the pillow back behind her head.  
  
He left the room in a hurry.  As he closed the door, he caught his reflection in the glass.  He paused, looking.  He looked like himself.  
  
The Beast had been stopped.  He had been lost to the transformation, but it had been halted.  
  
The killing had turned back the monster.  
  
He could control The Beast.  
  
He removed the pills from his pocket and threw them away.  They had stopped working anyway.  
  
He needed to cover his tracks now.  He had to find her doctor and report her death.  He would make it sound like he had come in and found her already dead.  She was a criminal, so he didn't expect much of an issue.  
  
He had probably done the world a favor.  


* * *

  
  
Davis did some research on Linda Lake.  She was a human monster.  She had killed a football player and even attempted to kill Chloe.  She had then disappeared before being captured by yesterday.  
  
He was right.  She had deserved to die.  It should mean something that such an awful person's death had saved so many lives.  Davis remembered his vision of Doomsday at the hospital during his time in the fortress.  That scenario had been stopped by his taking of a single, evil life.  
  
He would do it again.  He would control the monster to protect the innocent.  
  
He would sacrifice the guilty for the same reason.

* * *

  
  
The Beast demanded many sacrifices.  He wasn't sure if it was fortunate or not that Metropolis offered so much evil.  He had no problem finding bad people that could be given over to sate the monster.  Davis found a twisted sort of balance in the killing.  He was a soldier fighting a war on two fronts.  He told himself he was killing, but he wasn't a murderer.  Doomsday demanded blood.  It didn't care if it was guilty or innocent.  Davis found it appropriate that he gave the monster the blood of the guilty to protect the innocent twice over.  He protected them from the monster, and from the evil such people created.  
  
There were no more bloodbaths.  No more victims.  Just clean kills of dirty people.  
  
He buried them in the cornfield that haunted him.  
  
The Beast got what it needed, and Davis returned to his life.  It was all very...neat.


	59. Chapter 59

Chloe sat in a waiting room of Met Gen reading a copy of today's Daily Planet.  She was surprised to see an obit for Linda Lake.  It seemed she had died suddenly shortly after her arrest.  
  
 _Good riddance._  
  
Chloe wondered if Clark knew.  He never wished for or rejoiced in the death of another, but now that water snake could never threaten anyone again.  It was even better than her being discredited.  Though Clark was unlikely to be as pragmatic as she was.  But then, Chloe had several recent lessons in pragmatic death.  
  
She took another sip of coffee as she waited to speak with the accounts department.  They had misfiled her insurance claim for Jimmy's transfer.  She needed to straighten it out ASAP to keep his move on target.  
  
She looked up at the sound of a familiar voice coming from down the hall.

"Now, you can't let the stitches get wet for three days.  You will need to get some waterproof bandages.  It's important if you want to avoid infection.  Call us if you have any problems."  
  
 _Davis!_  
  
Without thinking, Chloe jumped up from her seat and rushed around the corner.  She completely forgot about the accounting department as she cried his name.  
  
He spun around, a look of surprise on his face.  Then he broke into a grin.  "Hey, Chloe."  
  
Reaching him, she asked, "When did you get back?  Where have you been?"  
  
"Just a few days ago.  I had to leave town for a few weeks."  
  
She let her concern show. "Yeah, I know.  I tried checking up on you before, but they said you were on leave.  Is everything OK?"  
  
A strange look flickered across his face, but it was there and gone so fast that Chloe wasn't even sure if it had been real.  "I'm managing.  It is under control now."  
  
"Well, if there is anything I can do to help...."  
  
"Thanks, Chloe.  So, I'm glad I ran into you.  I wanted to know--"  
  
Chloe cut him off.  "We should probably talk about what happened.  As for the voicemails, let's just call it even."  
  
He looked very confused.  "Excuse me?"  
  
Chloe looked at her feet uncomfortably.  "Well, you called me on the day of my wedding, but I kind of deleted all the messages unheard.  I thought it was best considering what happened."  
  
Slowly he echoed, "What happened...?"  
  
"When you kissed me."  
  
His eyes darted away quickly and then back.  "Right.  That."  
  
"But then I called you and I think I left you a message, but I'm not sure.  I'm guessing if I did, you didn't listen?"  
  
She looked hopeful.  He decided to give her the easy out.  It would better open the slate for the future.  There might be a future now that he had a way of controlling Doomsday.  The killing may not be entirely moral, but it was effective.  That meant he could have Chloe in his life. If he played it right.  
  
So he lied through his teeth.  
  
"Yeah, my calls were just long rambling apologies.  You didn't miss much.  But you called?  When?  I was out of cell range and forgot my phone contract lapsed.  I had to get my line turned on again when I got back and I lost any voicemails."  
  
"Oh. OK then.  So I guess you weren't ignoring me then."  
  
He smiled warmly.  "No, Chloe."  
  
She rushed on.  "As for what happened outside The Talon that day, you know I'm married now, right?  All we can be is friends.  No more kissing."  
  
 _You can't kiss me again.  I can't let you kiss me again._  
  
"It's OK, Chloe.  I'm moving on.  In fact, in going to a birthday party tonight for my friend Ann.  She is the one that runs the teen home."  He paused, thinking.  "Actually, you should meet her.  I think she would be a good contact for you with Isis.  Why don't you come tonight?  Assuming you don't have plans?"  
  
Chloe looked surprised, but pleased.  Then she gave a little grimace.  "Well, I should probably work late at Isis.  Jimmy is being transferred to Met Gen in a few days.  I won't have as much time when he gets back."  
  
"Well how about this, I'll text you the details.  If you can make it, great.  If not, that is fine too.  You guys can meet another day."  
  
She smiled warmly up at him.  "That sounds great."  She finally realized that she had been away from the billing office for quite some time.  "I need to get back to the billing department though.  We need to catch up soon though if I don't see you tonight."  
  
"Yeah, sure thing."  He bent to pick up his case and walked away.  
  
Chloe watched him leave, admiring the pull off his pants across his fine backside.  It took her a second to realize what she was doing, and shook herself.  She tried to tell herself it was the sexual dry spell that had her ogling him.  It wasn't because it was Davis.  At this point, any attractive man could get a similar reaction from her.  She and Jimmy hadn't done anything since well before the wedding because of stress and then his injury.  It seemed her "private time" wasn't enough.  
  
 _So if any attractive man would do, why haven't you ogled Clark? Or Oliver?_ the voice in her head asked.  
  
 _Oh shut up_ , she told herself as she turned back towards the billing office.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis turned around the corner without looking back at her.  Once he was sure he was clear of her vision, he collapsed back against the wall.  
  
He had seen her again, and they were ok.  He may even see her again tonight.  
  
He tried to resist, but couldn't.  He peeped back around the corner like a child playing hide-and-seek.  She was just disappearing into the billing office down the hall.  
  
God!  He had forgotten how truly beautiful she was.  His memory just wasn't enough.  He inhaled deeply.  There was a light citrusy smell in the air.  Had she always smelled that good?  
  
He shook his head to clear it.  If he was going to see her tonight, he had work to do.  He had to make sure he would have The Beast tamed.  He needed to hunt.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe was trying really hard to keep her mind on the Isis paperwork, but her eyes kept straying over to her phone.  
  
She had one unread text.  From Davis.  She could see him tonight.  
  
It had been weeks since that kiss, and she was married now.  Surely there would be no harm in it?  There would be other people there too.  
  
Sighing heavily, she gave up.  
  
She checked her clothes to make sure they were neat.  She straightened her blouse.  She was lucky that she had chosen a pretty flowy skirt to go with it.  Her usual pencil skirts would not do well for dancing.  She grabbed her phone for the address and picked up her coat.


	60. Chapter 60

Davis stood at the bar holding a drink in his hand hoped that Chloe would show.  Ann nudged his arm and he smiled down at her.  
  
"Still hoping that Chloe will show?"  
  
Damn.  She had read his mind.  
  
"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to everyone." She frowned.  "Except maybe Jessica."

They both turned to look at the tall brunette, catching her in the act of staring at Davis.  
  
Jessica quickly looked away.  
  
Ann heaved a sigh.  "She doesn't understand why you don't chase her.  Everyone else does."  Ann paused.  "Actually, she might get over you if you _did_ just sleep with her."  
  
"Ann!" Davis said, appalled.  
  
Ann laughed slightly evilly.  "Well you should be with _someone._ You've been alone too long.  And don't say anything about Chloe!  She just got married, right?  Time to give it up."  Her eyes turned momentarily serious.  "I mean that, Davis."  
  
Davis decided to ignore the comments about Chloe.  He chose to tease Ann instead.  
  
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, being careful not to spill either of their drinks.  He leaned down to speak huskily into her ear.  "I've been holding out for you."  
  
Ann laughed heartily and pushed his face away, still laughing.  
  
A slim redhead came up behind Ann and hugged her from behind, nuzzling her own face into Ann's neck.  The redhead asked, "What is that rascal trying now?"  
  
Ann snuggled back against her.  "Same as always.  Trying to steal me away from you, Bridge."  
  
Bridget sighed and looked at Davis pityingly.  "I'm sorry Davis, but you just don't have the right equipment to interest her.  Come back after a few operations and you might have a chance."  
  
The banter was familiar and comfortable.  It put Davis at ease in a way that few things did now.  It felt like his real life.  It was completely unlike his nights prowling the streets for evil.  
  
Having gotten in a few affectionate kisses, Ann turned back to Davis while resting her head against her girlfriend's shoulder.  "So you are still coming to help us with the fundraiser at Omega House tomorrow night, right?"  
  
"Of course, I said I would months ago."  
  
Ann's eyes turned anxious.  "Yes, but that was before you took off without telling anyone for weeks.  We were really worried."  
  
Bridget chimed in, looking annoyed.  "You still haven't told us where you were or what happened."  
  
Feeling defensive, Davis took a sip of his drink.   Ann and Bridget were the closest friends he had, but they had no idea what he had been through.  They couldn't possibly understand everything that had happened.  They definitely wouldn't understand what he had to do to stay human.  Now he was the only line of defense holding back an alien monster.  They wanted to make the world better.  He was trying to keep it from being torn apart.  
  
Shaking his head to snap himself out of his reverie, he tried to retrace the conversation.  "Yes, I'll be there.  Early afternoon actually.  To help you set up, as promised."  
  
Bridget looked relieved.  "Thank you, Davis.  That takes such a weight off us.  This is the biggest event of our year, and we are so short-handed due to the budget cuts."  
  
Ann pushed Bridget's hair off her face.  "I told you he would come through.  It's alright. love.  It will be spectacular.  It always is."  
  
He stood smiling as the two women snuggled in a comfortable, loving way.  They had been together for years and had the most open, healthy relationship he had ever seen.  He thought that if ( _When!_ ) Chloe was ready to embrace what was between them, they would have a relationship like that.  
  
Suddenly the room felt warmer.  Davis turned to see Chloe walking in with a "I'm looking for someone" expression.  He caught her eye and smiled widely.  _She came!_ Placing his drink on the bar, he walked up to her.  
  
He had to forcefully restrain himself from running to her.  She smiled back and made a beeline towards him.  
  
Standing in front of him, she began removing her scarf and coat.  "Hi!"  
  
He grinned at her.  "You made it!"  
  
She gave a sort of grimace.  "Yeah, I should be catching up on Isis paperwork, but I was sick of the office.  So I decided to count this a networking."  
  
"Ah, then let me introduce you to our birthday girl."  
  
He turned to look for Ann, only to discover she was right behind his shoulder watching their interaction curiously.  
  
"Ann, this is Chloe Sullivan of the Isis foundation." Turning, he said, "Chloe, this is Ann Pearson of Omega House."  
  
Chloe reached her hand forward to clasp Ann's hand.  "So nice to meet you.  I've wanted to meet you since you offered a spot for Bette." Her face clouded.  "I'm just sorry that didn't work out."  
  
Ann glanced up at Davis, before turning to Chloe.  "Very nice to meet you too, Chloe.  I've heard so much about you from Davis."  
  
"Really?" Chloe asked with an arch look at Davis.  
  
Davis made a face at Ann, before turning to Chloe.  "She is just trying to scare me away so I'll go get her another drink.  Do you want anything?"  
  
"Rum and coke?"  
  
"OK."  He headed for the bar, leaving the two women alone.  
  
Turning to look at Chloe, Ann said, "You just got married, right?   Congratulations."  
  
A wave of pain washed over Chloe.  Her wedding was **Not** a happy memory.  It was a mistake that Jimmy paid the price for.  Choking back the pain that rose to her throat, she said, "Thank you."  
  
Chloe could tell that the other woman knew she had made a misstep, though Ann clearly didn't understand.  
  
Ann tactfully changed the subject.  "Davis told me some about the work you do at Isis helping the meteor infected.  I can tell you upfront that we have desperately needed something like that here.  I'm so glad you are doing it."  
  
"Well, it has been a big part of my life growing up in Smallville.  I just hope that it really does help."  
  
"I'm sure it does.  Please feel free to contact me or Omega House if we can ever be of help again."  
  
"Why the name Omega House?" Chloe asked.  
  
Ann smiled.  "Kind of a joke, really.  Because it is often the last stop before the streets."  
  
"I'd say it was the other way around from what Davis said.  It sounded more like their first stop _off_ the streets."  
  
Ann smiled warmly.  
  
Just then Davis appeared with their drinks.  He passed them around and everyone took a sip.  
  
Lowering something pink, Ann said to Chloe, "Well I think that is enough shop talk.  Come and meet the others."  
  
Ann introduced Chloe to her girlfriend, Bridget, a tall brunette named Jessica who shot Chloe death looks that she didn't understand, and a tall hipster looking guy named Seth.  
  
Chloe was surprised at how much she instantly liked everyone with the exception of the glaring girl.   Chloe flashed a look up at Davis, catching his eye.  She cut her eyes over at Jessica and back in silent question.  Davis just rolled his eyes in reply.  She took that as he was aware of Jessica's intent, but not interested.  
  
The song _Paralyzer_ started to play over the speakers, causing Ann to cry our in delight.  She turned to Bridget.  
  
"Dance with me!" she cried.  
  
In reply, Bridget held up her newly refreshed drink.  
  
Ann gave a pouty face causing them all to laugh.  Then she turned to Davis and extended a hand.  She arched a brow at him.  "Here's your big chance, boy.  Try to turn me."  
  
"I just might succeed, you know.  I'm a pretty exceptional dancer."  
  
Ann laughed and dragged him out on the floor.  
  
Seth asked Chloe to dance, but also had just gotten a new drink as well and declined.  A girl at the next table accepted his offer.  
  
Chloe was surprised when Jessica spoke to her.  "He's right, you know."  
  
Chloe was confused.  "Seth?  About what?"  
  
Jessica shot her a disgusted look.  "Not Seth.  _Davis._ He _is_ an exceptional dancer." She nodded towards the floor where Ann and Davis were dancing.  
  
Chloe was impressed... and more than a little turned on watching him.  He held Ann in front of himself and danced behind her, suddenly spinning her.  Then to Chloe's surprise, on the return spin, he pulled her to his chest by their connected hand.  He grinned down at her.  Ann played coy and broke free, holding only his hand, which Davis used to spin her back to him.  Facing him again, Ann bent her knees and sank low until she was looking up at Davis.  She shot him a sultry look.  He threw his head back in a laugh.  
  
Close swallowed hard.  She had a fantasy where she had been in that position with Davis.  Though they hasn't been dancing.  Or wearing clothes for that matter.  
  
Snapping back to the present, Chloe saw that Ann and Davis were now grinding against each other.  His hands grasping her hips, as her hands ran up his chest.  
  
A loud thunk sounded behind Chloe as Bridget slammed down her now-empty drink.  She did not look happy as she marched out to the dance floor.  Bridget reached the pair just as the song finished with Davis spinning Ann into the air and doing a showy catch.  
  
A slower song came on and Davis yielded his partner to her girlfriend.  He made his way back to where Chloe stood.  Catching the bartender's attention, he ordered another drink.  
  
Still facing away from her at the bar, he asked, "Well?"  
  
Chloe laughed at the transparent ploy for praise.  She decided to have a little fun.  "Ann is an amazing dancer."  
  
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.  "And?"  
  
She paused, adopting an over-the-top pondering expression.  Finally she gave a nod like she had come to a decision and turned to face him fully.  "You were good too."  
  
He gave a bark of laughter.  
  
The slower song ended and the unique intro for Muse's _Undisclosed Desires_ began to play.  
  
Davis threw back his drink, placing the empty glass on the bar.  He turned to Chloe and took her drink from her hand.  
  
"Hey!" she protested.  
  
Davis took her hand and started to drag her to the dance floor.  "No protests," he said firmly.  " 'Good,' she says,  I'll show you good!"  
  
As Davis dragged Chloe toward the dance floor, she laughed and started to protest half-heartedly.  
  
When they reached the dance floor, Davis spun her around to face him.  He pulled her close, and skimmed his hands down her sides to her hips.  The force of his nearness made her catch her breath.  She thought he would be all sweaty from his earlier dancing, but he was warm and dry.  This close she could smell his musky aftershave.  It smelled sexy and manly in that way that advertisements promise, but never quite deliver.  
  
Using the hands he had on her hips, he began to shift them with the beat of the music.  As she began to catch on, he shifted his hands higher up her sides to guide her direction.  His hands snagged on the fabric of her shirt, causing it to bunch slightly.  His hands met her bare flesh in an electrifying touch.  She raised heated eyes to meet his.  His eyes had that molten look again.  
  
As the music poured over them, Chloe finally gave up control.  She had so tightly wound since returning, it felt great to give herself over to the dance and the man holding her.  Her hips began to snap with the beat, her shoulders back and swaying in counterpoint to her hips.  She lifted her arms to her hair and lifted it up of her neck, enjoying the silky feel of it.  She closed her eyes and let the sensations pour over her.  She felt free and sexy.  
  
Dropping her hair, she took an aggressive stance as the verse changed and trailed a hand over Davis chest as she circled him. He followed her with his hot eyes.  When she was behind him, she decided to be dangerous.  She slid her hand down his back and across his right butt cheek.  
  
He spun around and seized her in his arms.  He pulled her flush against him.  His hands grasped her butt now and pulled her pelvis in to meet his.  She could feel the heat and size of him pressing into her.  A wave of heat swept over her as her body responded.  She rolled her hips to grind into him.  He threw his head back and closed his eyes obviously enjoying the sensation.  
  
Placing her hands firmly on Davis' chest, Chloe pushed back until she broke free.  Stepping one foot back, she did a spin and upon facing him again, she fell into a crouch.  Looking up at him, she saw that Davis had his hands clenched in fists at his sides.  She was feeling decidedly wicked.  She began sliding her hands up his legs as she continued to look up at him. As she began to slowly rise, she exhaled deeply, bathing him in her warm breath.  
  
That must have been more than he could take because, he reached down and grasped her hair and gently pulled up, indicating she should rise.  
  
When she was upright, he put one hand on her waist and the other on her hand to indicate he was going to spin her out.  When she spun back in, he surprised her by dipping low and grasping her around her thighs.  When he stood to walked them in a tight circle, her feet dangled in the air. He began slowly letting her slide back down towards the ground.  His hands stayed in place as she slid, which meant he kept skin contact until her skirt slid down.  She knew in the dark lighting no one could see, but she knew her cheeks would be flaming.  The combined feel of his warm palms on her bare skin and the slight naughtiness of the touch in public made her dizzy.  
  
She and Jimmy had gone dancing once, and he had kind of blown her away with his Tango skills.  
  
But it was nothing like this.  
  
When her feet reached the ground, she turned so her back was to Davis.  He moved his hands when she turned, so now she felt his hands resting on her hips over her skirt.  She felt the texture of his jeans and his firm body pressed against her back.  She did a little kick out so she could resettle her legs slightly splayed.  It gave her better stability to grind back against him.  Her head tilted back as she pressed her weight back into him.  She heard Davis breathing unevenly in her ear.  He must be as turned on as she was.  
  
"Should we stop?" he rumbled in her ear.  
  
An involuntary sigh escaped Chloe's lips.  "No."  
  
Using the tempo changes of the song as a cue, he spun her to face him again.  She was startled at the change until she caught a look at his face and understood.  His nostrils were flared and his pupils were widely dialated, the eyes so hot they nearly burned.  He wanted her to see.  To see her.  
  
Reaching down, he grasped one of her thighs and hooked it over his hip.  Keeping one hand on her thigh to hold her in place, he slid the other to her hip where he could steady her.  His fingers dug slightly into the flesh of her thigh.  As they stared at one another, Davis began dipping their bodies with the beat of the music.  Her leg unconsciously tightened around his hip as she felt her balance shift.  She could feel his body pulse with the music.  Her hands grasped his hard arms.  She squeezed a little extra on his biceps.  He had great arms.  Then she caught another glimpse of his eyes in the lights.  They were so hot, she was surprised she didn't burst into flame.  
  
"Davis," she gasped his name.  
  
She was lost in his burning gaze.  
  
As the last note of the song died away, there was a brief pause before the next song started. In those two seconds of silence a horrible jangling ringtone cried out.  It was the ringtone she used for only one person.  It was also the only sound that could break her out of the haze she was in.  
  
"Clark!" she cried in alarm.  
  
Davis' eyes turned dangerous.  His voice cold with what sounded like barely controlled rage, he said, "Clark?"  
  
"That is him calling.". Then she looked down at her leg hooked around his hips, her pelvis against his.  The reality of it finally struck her.  
  
Looking up at Davis, she was filled with horror at what she was doing.  
  
 _What the hell had she been thinking???_  
  
Even though it was just dancing, it felt like betrayal of Jimmy.  
  
 _Because you were enjoying it so much?_

She pulled away from Davis like he scorched her.  She couldn't meet his eyes as she righted and smoothed her clothes, babbling the whole time.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Davis, but I have to go.  It really is late and I have a big day tomorrow.  Thanks for inviting me out, but I need to go right now.  Bye!"  
  
She risked one glance up at him.  He looked... blank.  She wasn't sure what to make of that.  She started to speak, "Davis, I --" but not knowing what else to say, she turned and fled.  
  
She thought she stopped back at the table to say something to Ann and Bridget, because she found herself holding a business card along with her coat, purse, and phone.  
  
Standing in the cold air, she took deep breaths, trying to get herself under control.  After several minutes, she dialed voicemail to see what Clark wanted.

* * *

  
  
Davis found himself balanced on a delicate knife edge.  The part of himself that was Davis and the part of him that was The Beast were in prefect balance.  They were both filled near to bursting with a dangerous combination of lust and rage.  His form was still human, but he expected his eyes burned red.  
  
He watched her flee.  She paused at the table to collect her things, then disappeared out the door into the night.  He wanted to follow her, but knew in his current state, he would only terrify her.  He didn't want her to know about The Beast.  
  
As she had raced away, he had caught her scent in the air.  It smelled like citrus, sunshine, and woman.  He breathed in deeply.  His clothes still held her scent.  He smelled like Chloe.  
  
The Beast was somehow calmed.


	61. Interlude 5

Jessica watched Davis stand in the corner of the dark dance floor.  For the life of her, she couldn't understand what he saw in that blonde.   He should be dancing like that with _her_ , not that nobody.  
  
She wasn't sure how she knew, but suddenly she felt Davis looking at her from across the room.  It made her strangely uncomfortable even though she had been trying for months to get his attention.  She shifted uneasily on her chair as he crossed the room to her.

Even before she could make out his eyes, she was captured by his gaze.  When he was close enough to see clearly, his eyes sent a wave of unease through her.  He looked dangerous.  His eyes were lit with some kind of fire that was only _barely_ held in check.  Seeing that fire, she began to squirm with a combination of fear and lust.  Even if it burned she wanted to feel that heat.  Unconsciously she found herself learning towards him.  
  
He broke their eye contact as he glanced at the door where Chloe had left moments before.  Jessica somehow knew he was checking to see if the blonde was going to return.  A wave of jealousy swept over her.  
  
As his eyes returned to her, Jessica snapped, "Who is that girl to you?"  
  
She didn't know what she expected him to say.  "A friend," maybe, or even "nobody."  She didn't expect him to say --  
  
"She is the woman I love."  
  
Surprised, Jessica blinked a few times.  Then, her voice softer, she asked, "So why aren't you with her?"  
  
He looked out towards the door again as he replied with a deep sadness, "She won't have me."  
  
Jessica wasn't a very sympathetic person, but she did know how to spot an opportunity.  She was sure this was her moment to finally catch the elusive EMT.  He was compromised, and glancing down, she saw the impressive bulge in his jeans.  Emotionally strung out and desperately horny?  This was her shot.  
  
Using the lacquered nails of one hand, she traced that bulge, causing his eyes to snap back to her.  The sadness in his eyes was quickly replaced by what looked like a flash of... revulsion?  _No way._  
  
Weirdly, he paused with his eyes closed and inhaled deeply.  
  
When his eyes snapped back to her, they were filled with that unholy fire again.  Her breath caught and she cupped him through his jeans.  His hand moved to cover hers on his bulge as he learned in to her ear.  
  
"You want to get out of here with me?"  
  
Her breath hitched and she had to press her legs together firmly to hold back the wave of wetness his words caused.  She had waiting _months_ for those words.  
  
Meeting his burning eyes, she breathed, "Oh yes..."  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis knew it was probably a bad idea to take Jessica home even before seeing the disapproving look Ann and Bridget shot him.  As he leaned in to give her a hug goodbye, Ann whispered, "Davis, this is a bad idea.  Are you sure?"  
  
He mumbled back just as quietly, "No, but I can't have the one I am sure of."  
  
Leaning back, she squeezed his arm in sympathy and told him, "Just be careful."  
  
As he turned to leave, he heard Ann call out, "Don't forget about tomorrow night at Omega House!"  
  
He raised a hand to acknowledge he heard.  
  


* * *

  
  
In the cab on the way to Davis' place, Jessica exhaled in her triumph.  One night with _her_ and Davis would forget all about that nothing little blonde.  Her excitement was a nearly palatable thing.  She had never had to wait so long for a man, and tonight she would finally have him.  She stroked him through the fabric of his jeans again.  As they passed under a streetlight she saw his eyes glitter.  Again she had to press her legs together on a rush of moisture.  She normally hated to give blowjobs, but with Davis she wanted to.  She wanted desperately to taste that cock so long denied her.  She considered doing it right here in the cab, but instead learned towards the cabbie.  
  
"Get us there in the next five minutes and I'll pay you double."  
  
She went flying back against the seat as the cab lurched ahead.  
  


* * *

  
  
As they came through the door of Davis apartment, it was all hands and hungry mouths.  Jessica was undoing his belt and pulling down his jeans zipper as he slammed the front door closed behind them and then learned back against it.  He gripped her long dark (Damn it!  It should be blonde!) hair and pushed her to her knees.  She went down eagerly and pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down.  His cock sprang free.  She breathily said, "On my..."  
  
Davis knew he was on the larger side, but felt oddly pleased.  Maybe because it was the first reaction from Jessica that didn't feel calculated.  
  
A bead of moisture appeared on the tip and she leaned in to lick it off.  Then clasping the shaft with one hand, she began to suck, lick, and stroke his cock.  
  
He closed his eyes and pretended it was Chloe worshipping his cock.  Her beautiful green eyes open and watching him as those luscious lips closed around his hardness.  He wanted to know that she was enjoying it as much as he was.  He wanted to know that she her pussy was as wet and eager for that same cock that her tongue swirled around.  He inhaled deeply.  He could still smell her scent clinging to his clothes.  Citrus shampoo and something else.  By now it was more the memory of the scent than the actual scent that remained, but it was enough.  It would have to be as he opened his eyes and saw the brunette bobbing away on his dick.  She had her eyes closed as her mouth slid up and down on the shaft.  
  
He was suddenly disgusted seeing this not-Chloe sucking his dick.  His hardness wavered slightly, and he knew he needed to get back on track.  Clasping her shoulders, he indicated she should stand.  He pushed her skirt and panties down as she removed her shirt and bra.  He took a moment to compare her body to what he imagined of Chloe's.  She lacked the round curves of Chloe's compact frame.  The breasts were nice, but lacked fullness.  The legs were long and shapely, but the ass was too flat.  Davis closed his eyes to stop the mental comparison and began tugging off his own clothing.  If he kept comparing Jessica to Chloe he wouldn't be able to do this.  And he desperately needed to do this.  If only so his memory could stitch the events of the club and now together into one dream of Chloe.  
  
Thinking to the events of the club, he knew exactly how to take her.  Using his fingers, he tested her readiness.  Jessica moaned and pressed against his fingers.  He flicked her clit a few times just to be sure, bit the wetness covering his hand was proof enough of her eagerness.  He ripped open the foil packet he had retrieved from his pants, and slid the condom on as Jessica watched him with hot eyes and panting breath.  
  
Reaching to her, he lifted her in the air as he gripped her behind the thighs.  He slowly loosened his grip so she slid down him.  Then he slid her down _onto_ him.  He closed his eyes as his cock smoothly slid into her wet sheath.  
  
He softly said her name as the warm wetness encased him.  
  
"Chloe."  
  
"What did you say?" a voice that was **NOT** Chloe snapped.  
  
His eyes popped open and met not green eyes, but brown.  Angry brown.  
  
His first reaction was to say, "Nothing," but he knew that wouldn't work.  So he went for distraction instead.  And given their current position, an easy distraction was at hand.  
  
He used his grip on her thighs, to wrap her legs around his waist.  Then palming a too-flat ass cheek in hand, he lifted her body upwards.  This slid her up along his shaft, before he released her, slamming her down hard on his dick.  
  
Her eyes had widened at the physical strength he shown at lifting her, but the hard slam of his cock in her nearly made her eyes bug out of her head.  She released an involuntary cry of surprise and pleasure.  Being a bit gentler this time, he lifted and lowered her onto his throbbing cock.  Her head fell back and she began to cry out heatedly.  
  
"Fuck!" and "God!" and his name were most common.  
  
He kind of wished she would shut up.  Her voice wasn't Chloe's and it kept breaking his fantasy.  
  
He tried kissing her to shut her up but she was all tongue and slobber and he quickly pulled away.  Finally he decided to use a finger. Taking the finger he had used to test her, he slid it into her mouth.  
  
Her eyes opened in surprise.  He looked at her very intently, and with a particularly hard thrust of his pelvis commanded her, "Suck."  
  
She obediently began to suck on the finger.  Closing his eyes again, he was once again with Chloe.  He slowed the pace so he could feel every slick inch of her as he moved in and out of her body.  He frowned.  Chloe would be tighter than this he expected.  He shook his head at his own breaking of the fantasy.  In an effort to recover it, he dropped one of her legs to the ground and spun them around so it was now her back against the door.  Her one leg trailed on the ground, the other thigh locked tight over his hip.  This was the position Chloe was in when they danced at the club.  He wanted to explore her further, but unfortunately, one hand was busy keeping Jessica silent and the other was supporting her.  So he thrust his cock into her instead, pounding her against the door.  Her mouth released his finger to cry out again.  That just wouldn't do.  
  
He released his grip on her leg and bending his knees, he slid out of her.  She looked at him in confusion.  
  
"Bedroom," he said.  She nodded understanding and followed behind him.  She flopped down on the bed and motioned him to come to her.  He shook his head and indicated she should flip onto her stomach.  
  
"Doggy style?" she asked.  
  
He grunted agreement.  Reaching into the nightstand, he retrieved a new condom and removed the old.  Rolling the rubber down, he positioned himself behind her and slowly sank in.  As he had hoped, she muffled her cries in the pillows.  He also couldn't see her face, and in the mostly darkness he kept his eyes open add he began to move in and out of her.  As he moved in Chloe.  
  
He was once again lost in the fantasy of fucking Chloe.  He would make this the best fuck of her life.  Pulling out all the stops, he focused all his significant will on her pleasure.  He added a small twist to his hips on his thrusts, so the head of his cock ran along her g-spot.  His fingers slid around her thighs to the front of her cleft and he flicked and rubbed and squeezed her clit.  When he felt her body build and tighten with impended orgasm, he would edge off just so he could build the pressure higher.  
  
Finally, not even the pillow was enough to muffle her sobs of pleasure, but by then, Davis was so lost in his own pleasurable fantasy he didn't care.  He wanted Chloe to come.  He wanted to shatter her world.  He wanted _his_ face, and _his_ body, and _his_ touch glittering in each shard.  He would bring that explosive world of light and feeling for just the two of them to her.  
  
And so she came.   Wave after wave of pleasure ripping through her, she screamed and tore at the sheets with clawed hands and her teeth dug into the pillow.  Her orgasm was so great that she didn't notice his own yell of triumph and release was not entirely human.  His hips pounded into her as his hot cum rushed into the condom.  
  
Her legs gave out and he collapsed onto her.  
  
Instantly he felt a wave of concern.  Had he hurt her?  Quickly pulling out of her, he started to clammer to where her head was, but her sudden cry stopped him.  It was a cry of loss at his pulling out so quickly.  If she was OK to complain about the end of the sex, then she was OK.  Her face was obscured by hair.  Why did her hair look dark?  Pushing the hair off her face tenderly, he smiled at Chloe.  Only once the hair was gone, he was met with the unwelcome memory that this was not Chloe.  
  
Jessica grinned sleepily and dazedly at him.  "Wow, Davis.  Just wow."  She chuckled in a manner that he guessed was sexy.  "You were certainly worth the wait."  
  
Disgusted, he rolled away and sat on the edge of the bed.  He removed the used condom and threw it away.  Glancing at the bed, he saw that Jessica was already  asleep.  In fact, she was snoring a little.  He sighed heavily.  He guessed he couldn't wake her just to kick her out.  
  
But he also had no desire to share a bed with her.  Grabbing a pillow and a spare blanket from the closet, he brought them into the living room.  Looking down at his naked body he went back into the bedroom and grabbed a pair of lounge pants.  Dressing quickly, he laid down on his makeshift bed on the couch and was almost instantly asleep.


	62. Chapter 62

Chloe sat in her car outside Davis' apartment the next morning.  She had to talk to him about what happened last night at the club.  She needed to know if it had meant something or not.  She needed to know if the guilt she felt was real or just her imagination running wild.  
  
She tried to tell herself it was just dancing.  **HOT** dancing.  But still just dancing.  He knew she was married now.  It _wasn't_ a seduction.  He had danced the same way with Ann.  Well, almost the same.  So why had Chloe reacted like that?  Her body was playing tricks on her.  When the spell broke, she had made it even worse by running away like the devil himself was after her.  
  
 _Maybe because you were feeling more than you should?  You wanted it to be a seduction._

  
It almost had been.  She knew she hadn't imagined his hot eyes.  He hadn't pressed, but if it has gone on much longer, she wasn't sure she would have remembered her shiny new marriage vows.  If Clark hadn't called, would she have pulled him into a dark corner to have her way with him?  As it was, he had haunted her dreams all night.  
  
So now she was stalking his apartment.  She didn't know what shift he was on, so she hoped to catch him before she went into Isis.  She needed to decide once and for all where they stood.  This wasn't a conversation she could do over the phone.  
  
Then she saw him moving around the apartment.  He had only a pair of lounge pants on as he moved to look out the large window with a mug in his hand.  A ray of morning sunlight lit his pale skin, caressing it with a warm glow.  
  
 _God, he is beautiful._  
  
When he turned away from the window, Chloe snapped out of her absorption.  
  
 _He's awake.  Good.  Time to do this._  
  
She stepped out of the car.  Locking the door, she hitched her purse onto her shoulder.  Mentally she began steeling herself.   She had carefully chosen her outfit today.  No nonsense shoes and skirt.  Blouse that covered her from neck to wrist.  Even button done up.  She made it into the lobby just as someone was leaving.  They let her into the building without her having to wait to be buzzed in.  She made her way up to his apartment.  She took a deep breath and knocked firmly on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" his voice asked through the closed door, sounding confused and still sleepy.  
  
"It's Chloe."  Her voice sounded choked and rough.  She took a second to clear it.  Why was she so nervous?  "Can we talk?"  
  
"Chloe?"  She heard the lock open.  His face appeared as he opened the door a few inches.  
  
She gave him her best meeting-a-client smile.  She tried not to look at the sliver of naked chest she saw through the door crack.  She _definitely_ tried not to look at how low the pants rode on his hips.  
  
Her businesslike smile faltered.  She shifted to her friendly, cheerful smile.  It was the one she always used to reassure Clark.  "Can I come in?"  
  
He looked over his shoulder. _Is that the shower going?  Oh dear.  I caught him about to get a shower._  
  
They spoke at the same time.  
  
"I'm sorry, Davis, I--"  
"Chloe, now isn't a good--"  
  
They both stopped speaking when female arms wrapped around Davis from behind.  Her movements caused the door to open slightly more and Chloe got a good look at the woman inside.  It was the angry brunette from last night. _Jessica._ She was wearing nothing but the shirt Davis had on last night.  She started kissing up his neck.  
  
"Davis, I couldn't find any towels and I really need to shower after last night," she said in a whiny voice that would  have put Chloe's teeth on edge if she wasn't so shocked.  
  
Davis unwrapped Jessica's arms and turned towards her slightly.  "Towels are in the closet across from the bathroom."  
  
Jessica pressed herself up against him again.  She made a little nibbling motion at his chin.  "OK.  You know you can join me."  She raked her nails down his chest.  Then she turned with a spiteful, triumphant look to Chloe.  "If you're done here."  It was her first acknowledgment of Chloe.  
  
Chloe realized her mouth was hanging open and snapped it closed with an audible _click_ of her teeth.  
  
Davis again pulled away from Jessica.  He took her hands off his chest and pressed the palms together and back towards her.  "That's OK.  You go ahead."  
  
Reaching out again, with one last trail of her fingers across his bare shoulder, Jessica turned away, but she made sure to meet Chloe's eyes before she sauntered away.  Chloe saw the shirt go flying in the background and heard the bathroom door shut.  
  
Chloe felt her cheeks burning.  She was trying to look anywhere but at Davis.  She was a riot of emotions.  Topmost were shame... and anger.  Anger at herself.  Anger at Davis.  Anger at everything that had brought her to this impasse.  
  
"I'm sorry, Davis.  I shouldn't have come."  She turned around sharply on her heel.  She jammed her finger on the button for the elevator.  
  
 _Maybe the stairs would be faster?_  
  
"Chloe, wait!"  He finally opened the door the whole way.  He rushed into the hall after her.  
  
"No, it's alright Davis.  I get it.  I'll talk to you later.  I have to get to Isis."  She didn't look at him.  She stepped into the elevator.  She still avoided looking at him until the doors closed.  He just stood watching.  Once alone inside, she saw her reflection in the shiny metal of the elevator door.  She looked spitting mad and on the verge of tears at the same time.  
  
 _Stupid!  Stupid!  Stupid!  What did you think would happen?  This is the way it **should** be.  You are **Married**.  You couldn't expect him to keep to his promise in the alley.  You couldn't expect him to wait forever.  Would you really want him to?_  
  
 ** _YES!_**  
  
She knew it wasn't fair.  She should be happy for him.  So why did she want to go back up and claw the other woman's eyes out?  
  
 _Because you thought last night was more.  You thought it was about you._  
  
Idiot!  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis watched Chloe walk back to her car from his window.  The small blonde was almost radiating anger, but he also saw her arm brush across her eyes.  Was she crying?  
  
The thought of something **HE** did making her cry was almost too much.  He had already caused her so much pain, even if she didn't know it was him.  
  
 _It wasn't you.  It was the monster.  There **is** a difference.  You have to remember that.  You have to keep fighting._  
  
Alright, fine.  But _**Davis**_ had caused her pain today.  He wanted to run after her and tell her that last night with Jessica meant nothing.  That he was hers alone.  
  
But maybe it was better this way for now.  She still wasn't ready to acknowledge what was between them.  The way she had run off last night proved that.  Though there had been moments...  
  
The memory of her soft, compact body pressed against his made him close his eyes with renewed lust.  When he opened them again, her car was speeding down the street.  He placed a hand against the cool glass.  He could wait.  She would be his in time.  The pull between them was too strong.  
  
Then a little smile crept up his face as realization dawned on him.  His guilt receded with it.  Chloe had been _jealous._ He felt a huge grin break out across his face.  That meant she cared.  That was a good start.  She would eventually see it was a mistake for them to be with anyone else.  For now, he would seem to "move on."  
  
He found himself whistling as he retrieved his coffee from the counter.


	63. Chapter 63

Davis' phone began ringing as he whistled his way back to his coffee.  He frowned.  It was the hospital.  They knew it was his day off.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Davis, it's Gary.  A number of other drivers are down with that nasty flu.  I know it's your day off, but we desperately need you to come in."  
  
"Gary, I--"  
  
"Davis, this isn't a request.  You owe us."  
  
Sighing heavily, Davis knew he was trapped.  He had left too many others holding the bag when he ran off.  He couldn't very well explain he had been trying to tame his alien-killing-machine-alter-ego.  
  
"Alright, but I need to be done by five."  
  
"Ok, thanks.  Do appreciate it.  Get in ASAP."  
  
Gary hung up.  
  
Davis texted a quick message to Ann telling her he wouldn't be there until five, but would still be able to work at her event.  
  
Now, he had to get ready.  
  
First step was throwing an unwanted brunette out of his shower.  
  


* * *

  
  
It was 9pm and Davis was exhausted.  With so many other drivers out sick, he had been fielding calls nonstop.  He had driven back and forth across the better part of the city all day.  Met Gen wasn't the only hospital with staff out, so he had to go to areas that were normally covered by other hospitals.  
  
So why did he find himself heading towards Isis and not home?  
  
 _Because the lights were still on.  Chloe was up there._  
  
He climbed the stairs and knocked on the office door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
He opened the office door and saw her sitting at her desk in the main office.  His eyes flicked up to the light fixture above her.  The bulb was glowing warmly.  He smiled crookedly.  Then he looked back down at her surprised face.  
  
"Davis.  I--"  She stopped.  "I'm surprised to see you."  
  
Her feet were bare under her desk.  She was trying to toe her shoes back on discreetly.  She must have kicked them off.  Her top two blouse buttons were also open now and her sleeves pushed up.  
  
"Yeah, well, you see, I think I owe you an apology."  He wandered into her office, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets.  He had changed out of his uniform before leaving the hospital.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe finally got her shoes back on, and stood up from behind the desk.  She shifted some of the papers so she could avoid looking at him.  She could feel her cheeks flaming.  "An apology?  For what?"  
  
 _Did her voice sound high?_  
  
Flicking her eyes up and away, she saw him scratching behind one ear.  It seemed to be a coy gesture for him.  "I'm not sure really."  
  
Her eyes snapped up to meet his.  A flush of anger poured through her.  
  
He wandered over to the bureau and began idly playing with a statue sitting on top.  "Well, I got the impression this morning you wanted to talk, but then you ran off."  His eyes flashed over to her, then back to the statue.  "Did I do something?  I'm not really sure what is wrong.  So I'm offering a general apology."  
  
Suddenly, all Chloe's anger drained away.  What was wrong with her?  She had been acting like a crazy and jealous girlfriend.  Hadn't she told herself over and over that they could only be friends?  _Of course_ , that would mean other women for him.  _He was kind, and fun, and sexy as hell--_ She cut off that last thought.  The dancing last night was just that.  Dancing.  It was _her_ putting more into it than there was.  Because _she_ wanted it to be more.  
  
"I'm sorry, Davis.  I was just surprised to see Jessica there.  I'm sorry for running off like that."  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis smiled back at her again.  It worked.  All was well.  He would be there when she realized that _he_ was the right man for her.  Not Jimmy.  Him.  
  
"So were you on your way into work?" she asked.  
  
"No, actually I just got done with an extremely long day after being called in on my day off.  Half the drivers are out sick with that flu going around.  Surprising actually.  They should have gotten their flu shots."  
  
Chloe arched a brow at him.  "I suppose that means you did, tough guy."  
  
He shrugged.  "Well, yeah.  I mean, it is no big thing.  It's just a shot."  
  
Chloe shuddered.  "I'm not a big fan of needles."  
  
He smirked slightly.  "Really?  Gutsy, tough, take-no-prisoners Chloe Sullivan is scared of a little shot?"  
  
She made a face at him.  "This coming from the guy that hit me with a knock out drug less than two months ago?"  
  
Davis barked a laugh.  "OK point taken."  
  
She looked triumphant.  Moving around the desk, she sat on the edge, crossing her legs.  "But seriously, I've had some bad experiences with injections.  It makes me wary.  Even of flu shots."  
  
Davis leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.  He practically radiated curiosity.  "OK, you are going to have to explain that one."  
  
Chloe laughed.  One of her feet slid out of her shoe.  She began kicking the leg idly, letting the shoe dangle.  Something about the conservative clothing in slight disarray along with that kicking foot and dangling shoe made Davis think of naughty librarians.  His body responded to the idle thought.  To hide the evidence, he pulled away from the wall and began wandering around the room.  He picked up again from his last comment.  "How many injections can one person have, that you can count them as bad experiences?"  His eyes cut over to her and he gave her a half smile.  "Mine excluded."  
  
She laughed.  "Actually that was one of the better ones.  I woke up in a better state.  Usually not the case."  She looked at him archly.  
  
He looked at her with a disbelieving look.  She was playing with him!  Giving teasing hints, wanting him to ask for more.  Well, two could play that game!  "Ah, that I can understand.  I was roofied once."  
  
Her jaw dropped.  "What?!"  
  
He nodded.  "Yeah, but your story first."  He smiled encouragingly as he settled back against the wall.  He had gotten his body back under control.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe wasn't sure why she mentioned her many run-ins with assorted bad guys injecting her.  She tried to pick just one story that didn't involve secret government facilities, her mother's spinal fluid, an evil billionaire, or any sort of kryptonite serum.  Ah, actually she had a recent one...  
  
"Actually, the night of my engagement party, a deranged jeweler shot both Jimmy and I with tranquilizers and tied us up in a basement.  Then he hit us with electroshock as he played The Newlywed Game with us."  She gave him a smug look.  
  
 _Beat that story!_  
  
 _Who would have thought I would end up making such light of that horrible night?  Especially for a one-up contest to hear about a guy being roofied?_  
  
Davis stared at her with his mouth open, then something seemed to snap to life in him.  He popped away from the wall and strode over to her purposefully. _What the--?_  
  
When he reached her, he gently grasped her face with both of his hands.  He looked deep into her eyes, his own filled with concern.  "Why didn't you tell me?  Are you OK?"  
  
His concern was so touching, that she instantly wanted to assuage his worry.  She placed one of her own hands over his and smiled.  "I'm fine now, Davis.  It was months ago, and honestly, it isn't something I usually think to bring up in casual conversation."  
  
He still didn't remove his hands, but he finally smiled.  "Except to bribe embarrassing stories from others."  
  
She smiled mischievously.  "Yes, of course, there is that.  Reasonable exception."  
  
He smiled wider.  _Did his eyes just flick to my lips?_  
  
Davis suddenly pulled away, and paced back to the wall.  "Of course," he said.  
  
Chloe waited.  He said nothing more.  She narrowed her eyes at him.  He was just smiling back over at her.  "So you going to tell the roofie story or no?"  
  
"Oh, so you think that will work, huh?"  
  
"Well, we have established it was a reasonable trade."  
  
"Actually, we established it was a reasonable _try_."  
  
"There is no try."  
  
He laughed disbelievingly.  "Did you just quote Star Wars at me?"  
  
She raised her chin.  Given her best friend was an alien hero, she had an appreciation for well-done Sci-Fi.  "Hell yeah."  
  
He laughed again.  "Ok, then you win.  My roofie story...AKA How Davis Nearly Became a Frat Boy's Date."  
  
Chloe settled back further on the desk, trying to get comfortable for her hard won story.  
  
"It was about two years ago.  I was at a bar on the other side of town after a long shift with some other EMT's.  We were sitting at the bar next to a group of rowdy frat boys.  They kept harassing all the women as they came to up to get their drinks.  Well, it just so happened that this one girl ordered a drink at the same time I did, so the bartender poured them out together.  We had just paid for the drinks, when one of the frat guys started feeling her up from behind.  She turned and started yelling at him, but he was a lot bigger and tried to kiss her as she struggled to get away.  I stepped in and pulled him off the girl.  Like most bullies, he was a coward, and backed off when he saw she wasn't going to be easy prey.  The girl thanked me and grabbed one of the drinks from the bar.  I took the other.  Well, what neither of us saw was that one of his buddies slipped a roofie into one of the drinks.  Presumably, the one they thought she would take."  
  
He paused.  
  
"And...?"  she asked impatiently.  
  
"Well, it didn't take very long before it hit me.  Roofies make you feel very drunk.  Very uncoordinated.  And in my case, very likely to topple forward onto a group of frat guys."  
  
Chloe let out a sharp laugh.  
  
Davis quirked a smile.  "Though as it turned out, the other guys I was out with recognized the symptoms and called the cops.  They had the group arrested and charged.  The girl they intended to drug saw me faceplant into the guys and came over to see what was wrong.  Then she stuck around and spoke with the cops."  
  
"Good!"  Chloe exclaimed.  Then trying to seem not-too-interested, she asked, "So...you get her number?"  
  
Davis laughed again, "Yeah, but not in that way.  That is actually how I met Ann."  
  
Chloe laughed disbelievingly.  "You met your lesbian friend by getting _roofied_?"  
  
He quirked a smile.  "Yep."  
  
Suddenly his face drained of all color, and he shot away from the wall.  There was panic in his eyes.  "Oh my God, Ann!"  
  
Instantly, Chloe was on alert.  "What's wrong?"  
  
Davis was already rushing for the door.  His voice drifted back behind him.  "I was supposed to help her with a fundraiser tonight, but I got called to work--"  
  
Chloe stopped her chase.  Her shoes were not intended for rushing after heroes on a mission.  Pausing, she started laughing.  Then she laughed harder.  Finally, she collapsed to the floor holding her sizes as she wheezed.  
  
It must be something in the nature of heroic types that they always leave other people hanging.  
  


* * *

  
  
Rushing out the door of Isis, Davis called Ann's number.  To his surprise, he heard her phone ringing nearby.  He turned to see a furious Ann marching down the street towards him.  She was trailed by Bridget, who looked only slightly less angry.  
  
 _Crap.  Today must be my day for pissing off women._  
  
"Ann, I was just calling you--"  
  
Ann didn't pause.  She marched right up to him and punched him in the jaw.  Hard.  
  
His head snapped to the side.  The monster inside him snapped awake.  It had been asleep until that moment.  
  
"What the **HELL** , Davis!  You said you would be there!"  she screamed.  
  
Davis kept his head averted from her.  He was afraid she would see the red.  His hands began to shake.  
  
Ann kept yelling, "You stood us up when we needed you, to go chasing after a _married woman_!"  She waved a hand toward Isis.  "After going home with _Jessica_ , of all people.  Really?!  What is going on with you?!"  
  
The Beast began to build in him.  He had to get away.  It hit him too suddenly.  There had been too much stress today.  It had been too long since the last sacrifice.  
  
"Ann, listen to me.  You need to go.  _Now_."  He tried to keep his voice calm, but he heard the echo of the monster on the last word.  
  
Bridget must have sensed something wrong, because she reached a hand out to Ann. She clasped her girlfriend's arm and pulled.  "Ann, we can talk about this later.  It's late.  I think we should go."  
  
Ann shook off her hand.  "No, not until he explains what the hell is going--"  
  
Davis knew he had only minutes to tame the monster.  He didn't have time to argue in the street.  He knew he would lose them, but they would live.  
  
He turned to face the two women, letting the streetlight fall on his horrible red eyes.  
  
"--and another thing..."  Ann's voice suddenly stopped when she saw his face.  Both women took a step back in fear, unconsciously seeking each others' hands.  "Davis.  Your eyes--"  
  
" **GO!** " he roared.  
  
The two women fled into the night as fast as their feet could carry them.  
  
Stumbling, he made his way into the alley behind Isis.  He gripped his stomach and tried to calm his breathing.  He felt the roiling nausea of the change.  
  
Suddenly, in a twisted blessing, he felt a knife at his throat.  
  
"Gimmie all your money, or you'll choke on your own blood."  
  
Davis sent a prayer of thanks to God.  Then, heedless of the knife that couldn't hurt him, he turned and reached out with hands that were only half-human.  They snapped the mugger's neck with a single twist.  The body dropped instantly.  Doomsday melted back into the shadows of Davis' soul.  Davis collapsed onto the cold asphalt next to the dead mugger.  Sobs began to rack his body.  
  
Davis had won another battle, but the casualties this night were great.


	64. Chapter 64

"Davis, I don't know what happened to you, but you terrified us tonight.  You need to get some serious help.  Don't contact or come near Bridget or I again."  
  
His voicemail began to offer him call options after Ann's message ended.  That was it.  Ann and Bridget were gone.  
  
Jessica had left him a message as well, which he deleted unheard.  He didn't want to speak to her.  He guessed she either wanted to relive her "victory" or curse him out, depending on if Ann had spoken to her or not.  Either way, he didn't really want anything to do with her.  She had simply been a distraction.  
  
The night's events had him questioning his path in managing the monster.  He wasn't the same man he was before.  He felt...compromised.  Was he right to kill to protect life?  Was he right in pushing people away to protect them?  
  
He needed guidance.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis didn't know where the rosary had come from.  It had been wrapped around his wrist one morning when he awoke from a blackout.  Since then, he had carried it as a sort of talisman.  He usually hung it around the rear-view mirror in his ambulance.  
  
He fingered the beads as the curtain in the confessional slid back.  He began.  
  
"Bless me, father, for I have sinned. I...have hurt many people -- people that I care about."  _Ann and Bridget.  Even Jessica.  And Chloe, by hurting Jimmy.  Though she doesn't know that was me --- **It**._  
  
"I'm here, my son. Go on," the priest said.

"Something...takes over... without warning."  _How to explain it?_ "It's a beast inside of me, fighting to get out."

"We all have our inner demons, but we must learn to control them."

Davis knew the priest didn't take his words in the literal sense, but his reply still applied.  "I'm trying, father, the best way I know how. But..."  He needed to clarify for him.  "I -- I drive through Metropolis at night, searching for a way to save myself.  Pimps, thieves, drug dealers.  There's so much...sin committed on those streets."  
  
Flashes of his nights spent hunting on those streets flashed through his head.  He had sacrificed all of them to The Beast.  
  
He thought he was doing the right thing.  He was stopping Doomsday, and saving others from those sinners.  He should explain that part.  
  
"When I find someone who's lost their way, I reach out.  And when I come across evil, I do everything in my power to put it to an end."  
  
A rush of satisfaction flowed over him.  He suppressed it, not sure if it was from him or from the monster within.  "When I stop the wickedness that I see, it keeps the beast from coming out."  
  
His voice wavered.  _How to explain how it made him feel?_ "It makes me feel...human."  
  
The priest's voice held no doubt.  "Stay on your righteous path, my son. Be not overcome of evil. But overcome evil... with good."  
  
The priest had understood.  God's servant saw what he was doing as righteous.  
  
Davis would stay the course.  
  
 _Thank you, Lord, for your guidance._  
  
He kissed the rosary.  
  
He needed to hunt.

* * *

 

Chloe thought about her conversation with Clark as she drove into Metropolis.

_"All your attention should be on Jimmy. I saw him last night, Chloe.  He's still pretty shaken up.  I should've been able to protect him."_

_"Clark, you did everything you could. And thankfully, now that Jimmy's been transferred to Met Gen, he's that much closer to home."_

Clark blamed himself for not protecting Jimmy, but it was because of _her_ that this happened.  She should have called it off.  Then he would never have been in that barn when Doomsday attacked, going after Brainiac inside her.  She couldn't tell Clark that she married Jimmy while impaired without confessing her second bout of memory loss.  She felt trapped by the lie.

Jimmy was in bad shape.  Most of his physical wounds were healed, but he was still badly broken.  Doomsday had torn apart something in Jimmy's self that wasn't healing.  The worst part was that Jimmy himself refused to acknowledge it.  He was obviously suffering from PTSD, and there was nothing she could do.  She was his wife now, he should be able to lean on her for strength.  All she could do was  stand by Jimmy and hope that time would heal the part of him that was torn.  She tried to put on a brave face.

_"I really think that the future looks a whole lot brighter for him."_

It was a lie, but she was getting used to that.  Was there a time when she wouldn't feel like she was choking on lies?

* * *

She stopped in at Met Gen to visit with Jimmy for a while before heading over to Isis.  He was repeatedly pushing the button that would pump more morphine, even though it was still early in the day.  It kept beeping to indicate it had already reached his maximum does for the time allotted.

A rush of love and sympathy washed over her at the sight of his pained, desperate face.  He was such a good man, even broken as he was.  He didn't deserve this terrible thing that had happened to him.

She took the button from him.  "Jimmy, you know that that machine's already locked into a set dosage. It's not gonna give you more no matter how many times you hit the pump."

"Well, you need to tell my doctor my pain is hummer-sized, not hybrid."

She smiled ruefully, and tried to brighten his dark mood.  "Being in a hospital bed for five weeks really does a job on you."

His face lost some of its pained look, now that he wasn't so inside his own head.  _Maybe he would listen this time?_

"But, you know, maybe what you're going through isn't all physical. Maybe you should talk to a psychologist."

He scoffed, just like he did every time she brought up his problems being more than just physical.

"I don't need a shrink, Chloe.  I need to go home."  Chloe didn't understand why he held the thought of going home as a talisman, but he did.  Did he think his inner demons would disappear by going home?  Did he think he could pretend this had never happened?

Then that sweet look that was the Jimmy she knew appeared on his face.  It was so rare now.  "Look, if you're doing fine... I will be, too."

This was the boy that she had run to after Dark Thursday.  This was the boy she had given her virginity.  If this boy could be whole again, then maybe they could be happy.

"Jimmy, I wasn't the one that was practically mauled to death."

Fear replaced the sweetness on his face.  "And that, uh... that thing -- it hasn't shown up again?"

_No, it was my fault it came, because of Brainiac.  But Brainiac is gone.  Even if you can't know any of that._

"The villagers already put away their pitchforks. I think he's gone forever."  She moved around the bed and needlessly adjusted his sheets.

He looked angry and disbelieving.  His voice was snappish as he said, "You don't know that for sure."

She tried to reassure him again, sitting on the edge of the bed.  "We would've heard about it."

He looked like he was trying to pull his temper back under control.  "I know.  It's hard to believe that he just dropped in to destroy our wedding."

_All my fault..._

"Just one of the pitfalls of getting hitched in the meteor-freak capital of the world."

Jimmy looked mollified.  Then she knew he was cheering when he spoke like he had before the wedding.  "I guess it's just another sign that we were meant for each other. 'Cause if the King Kong of meteor freaks couldn't take you away from me...then we're gonna be together forever."

She forced a smile, then leaned in to give him a gentle hug, hiding her expression.

Why did those words that seemed to give him such comfort, set her mind to screaming?

* * *

Davis thought he had taken the proper precautions.  He had changed out of his paramedic's uniform to hunt down the drunk driver who ran from the emergency room.  He found the man easily by tapping into the superior senses of the monster.  The Beast happily lent him power to secure the kill.  However, he was so focused on the kill that he failed to look for witnesses before wrapping the man's head in the plastic bag and easily snapping his neck.

When he looked up at the gasp, he got a clear look at Jimmy before the elevator doors closed.  And Jimmy got a clear look at him.  He saw the recognition in the boy's eyes before the silver doors blocked their view of each other.

_Cover your tracks.  They will come for you, but play it cool.  You hold all the cards._

He tapped into the power of the sated Doomsday.  Using its superhuman speed and strength, he easily stashed the body in the chest inside his ambulance, changed back into his uniform, and made his way to the far end of the hospital from Jimmy's room.  It was all done within seconds.  He put in special effort to be seen by other members of the night staff as they searched fruitlessly for the escaped drunk driver.

_That drunk will never kill another innocent, thanks to me._

He migrated the search to the hospital wing where Jimmy's room was located.  He wanted other staff to see him in that wing as part of the search when Jimmy "saw" him.

* * *

It went exactly how Davis expected.  Jimmy screamed at him when the searching staff made their way up to his wing.  As Jimmy ran away from him screaming for a nurse, Davis tapped into Doomsday for superspeed.  He shot into Jimmy's room and tampered with the morphine pump, setting it for a double dose.  He was back in the hall, looking after the screaming Jimmy again within seconds.  The surprised staff turned to look at Davis as they heard Jimmy's shouts.  Davis shrugged in reply.  He knew it was standard procedure to investigate a patient's room after a psychotic episode.  They would eventually find the pump had been tampered.

The police came looking for him an hour later.  Jimmy had finally convinced a nurse to call the police.

The other night staff protested his innocence, explaining about the search for the drunk driver and how they had seen him.

It didn't matter, murder was a serious allegation, and the police would do their part to investigate.

_Rightly so_ , Davis thought.  _If it is was murder, instead of a sacrifice for the greater good._

He didn't resist as he was taken away.

* * *

  
It took six hours of intensive questioning while the police corroborated his story with the other staff before he was released.  Several night nurses said they had seen him at the far wing of the hospital within minutes of the supposed murder.

There was also no body.  Most of the staff believed the drunk driver had fled the hospital.

Met PD released him with their apologies.

Davis was cleared, but now he had to deal with Jimmy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turbulence
> 
> So I particularly love this episode because of the insight it gives us into the minds of our characters. This is where we start to see things shift. I really enjoyed getting into the heads of everyone and filling in the gaps with my own rationales. Especially for Davis in the confessional and setting up Jimmy.


	65. Chapter 65

Her phone was going off.  Chloe groaned and reached for it on the bedside table.  She had slept poorly last night.  She kept being haunted by dreams of capture and death.  
  
She hit answer on the phone and groggily spoke.  "Uh, hello?"  
  
"Mrs. Olsen?"  
  
"It's Sullivan."  
  
"Mrs. Sullivan, then.  This is Detective Ranier at Metropolis PD.  I'm following up on a report filed by your husband."  
  
She bolted upright.  "What?!  What's wrong with Jimmy?!"  
  
"He's fine, ma'am.  Just calling to report that we have completed our investigation into the matter from last night.  If he needs a report, he can get one from the station."  
  
"Wait!  What happened?!"  
  
"You will have to ask your husband."  
  
She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.  She knew from experience with the police that panic wouldn't get her anywhere.  She calmed her voice.  "Thank you, detective.  I'll do that."  
  
"Good day, ma'am."  
  
"You too."  
  
She hung up and quickly dressed.  She couldn't find her favorite coat, so grabbed the bright yellow one instead.  She had to get to Met Gen.  
  


* * *

  
  
She burst into Jimmy's room.  
  
"Jimmy, hey. Are you all right? I came right after the police called."  
  
He was up and pacing.  His energy made her feel slightly more calm.  He had spent too much time languishing even after the doctor given him leave to move around under controlled circumstances.  
  
"Considering a man was murdered in this hospital last night, I'm doing pretty good."  His voice was firm.  He seemed stronger.  "I'm sorry I can't say the same thing for Davis Bloome."  
  
 _Murder?  Davis?  NO!  Don't let anything have happened to Davis!_  
  
"What happened to Davis?"  She heard the fear in her own voice.  But Jimmy hadn't said he was killed, maybe it was just-- "Was he hurt?"  
  
Jimmy looked confused.  "Hurt? No. No, Chloe, he was the killer. I saw him murder someone right in front of me."  
  
 _What?  Why would you say something like **that**?_  
  
Before she could answer, Davis opened the door, knocking to get their attention.  They both turned to look at the EMT as he entered the room.  Jimmy surprised her by protectively pushing her behind his back as he confronted Davis.  "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Davis replied with a wry smile.  "Well, thanks to you, I got cuffed, thrown into a squad car last night, and then I spent the next six lovely hours getting grilled by a homicide detective with the world's worst coffee breath."  
  
She watched Jimmy's reaction to Davis' statement.  He was still riled up as he advanced on the other man.  "They let you out on bail?"  His voice was angry and incredulous.  
  
"They let me go," Davis said in a reasonable voice.  
  
The very reasonableness of his tone set Jimmy off.  "Since when does Metropolis P.D. let people get away with murder?"  His voice was getting louder and more angry with each word.  He stepped forward angrily, his eyes looking slightly crazed.  "Look, I saw you --"  
  
Chloe jumped forward, grabbing Jimmy's arm before he could escalate into violence.  "Jimmy, calm down."  
  
Davis put out a hand placatingly, explaining, "Yeah, you did see me. You did. But I didn't murder anyone. I was up here looking for a patient that I brought into the E.R. -- Some drunk driver, fatal accident.  We called the cops. He ran. We had the entire night staff scattered around the hospital, looking. We didn't find him, but...we found you, wandering around the hall, completely out of it."  
  
Jimmy had finally calmed down as Davis spoke.  Jimmy turned to her and said in a softer voice.  He was trying to sound firm, but his eyes were unsure.  "I know what I saw, Chloe."  
  
She wanted to be supportive of Jimmy, but Davis a killer?  No, they had already gone through this.  It wasn't him before.  She wouldn't believe it of him now.  Jimmy must be mistaken.  
  
Davis seemed to read her mind.  "Okay, normally your eyes could be trusted, but not _last night_. Your PCA pump, it was faulty. It gave you a double dose every time you hit the trigger. Now, if I had that much morphine in my system, I'd see some things, too."  
  
 _Wait, that didn't seem right..._  
  
"Davis, I was with Jimmy yesterday when he tried to give himself an extra dose, and the machine wouldn't allow it."  
  
"Well, somehow it malfunctioned."  Davis met Jimmy's eyes.  "Did you do anything to it?"  
  
 _Oh, God.  That makes sense.  Jimmy kept pushing for more pain meds.  Would he have taken it into this own hands?_  
  
"What?"  Jimmy asked incredulously.  
  
"Jimmy, hey, no one is gonna blame you if you did. You were in a lot of pain."  Davis sounded understanding and reasonable again.  
  
Jimmy got angry again.  "Nice try, pal, but there is nothing wrong with that pump!"  
  
Davis backed down, laughing to try and alleviate the tension.  "Well...Okay, ask the doctors, or ask one of the nurses. They'll say the same thing."  
  
 _I'll do that, just to be sure.  But I think Davis is right.  Jimmy must have been seeing things._  
  
Davis turned to leave.  "Look, I'm -- okay. I'm, uh... I'll get out of your way. Jimmy, I'm glad to see you're feeling better."  
  
Then he was gone, leaving her with a confused-looking Jimmy.  She took Jimmy's arm and steered him back to the bed.  "Alright, I think you've had enough excitement.  Why don't you try to catch up on the sleep you missed because of the events of last night."  
  
Jimmy let himself be steered.  When he was in the bed, his hand shot out and grabbed her arm.  "You believe me, don't you, Chloe?"  
  
She smiled.  "I believe you think you saw what you said you did."  He snatched his hand back like her skin burned him, his face darkening.  
  
"You should go," he said coldly.  
  
She opened her mouth to respond, but she didn't want to fight.  She closed it again without speaking.  Besides, if she rushed, she might be able to catch up to Davis and apologize.  
  


* * *

  
  
She was in luck.  Davis was standing in the hall, waiting for the elevator when she left Jimmy's room.  She rushed up to catch him.  "Davis, hey, I feel terrible."  
  
Davis was typically sympathetic.  "I know the tricks that pain-killers can play on a person's head.  He's on some pretty heavy stuff."  
  
 _How can he be so understanding after what Jimmy put him through?_  
  
"Still, you don't deserve to be cast as the madman in Jimmy's psycho thriller."  
  
He smiled a bit mischievously.  "The truth is..."  He paused and scratched behind his ear in that coy way of his.  "I'm not surprised he thinks of me that way."  Then, meeting her eyes, he said intently and warmly.  "I... I did kiss his bride."  His smile brought that stolen moment to life within her again.  It flooded her with warmth...and guilt.  
  
Just another truth she hadn't told Jimmy.  
  
"Yeah, but he doesn't know that."  
  
Davis looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Oh, well, I...I just assumed --"  
  
His words made her feel defensive, like she had to explain why she was lying by omission to her husband.  
  
"I didn't, um, I didn't tell him. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it."  _Because I made my choice, and I need to deal with the consequences_.  
  
"No need to," he said quickly.  But he was obviously thrown off, because his next words were spoken half to himself.  "Yeah, well, I was way off base."  Then to her again, "Well, I-if I said anything or did anything to give him reason to hate me, I-I hope we can get past it."  Then his voice firmed.  "I accept... that he got the girl."  
  
Her heart sank.  That  was the first time he really acknowledged she was out of his reach.  It felt...final.  His next words sank her even more.  
  
"And, like I told you before, I'm -- I'm moving on."  
  
 _Yeah, with slutty--_ She stopped the train of thought.  It wasn't helpful.  
  
Instead, she tried to put on her supportive friend mask.  "I think that's a good idea."  She gave a smile, but she feared it probably looked sickly.  Even though it was wrong of her, she didn't like the thought of Davis moving on.  
  
"Yeah."  He was looking down with an odd little smile.  
  
 _Thinking about Jessica?_  
  
She tried to keep her face friendly, but she feared her eyes would reveal her anger and jealousy.  She looked away until she got it under control.  Thankfully, Davis didn't seem to notice.  
  
"And if Jimmy needs anything, um, I'm here."  
  
 _I'm glad someone is, because I'm doing a lousy job so far._ She glanced toward Jimmy's room.  She sighed.  
  
Perceptively, Davis read something was wrong without her saying a word.  "What is it? Hey, Chloe. You can talk to me."  
  
His eyes were so kind and concerned, her walls crumbled.  She was barely holding on and she couldn't tell anyone.  They would probably just blame themselves, when it was all her fault that Jimmy was even going through this.  
  
But she could tell Davis.  Her eyes watered in a combination of guilt, sorrow, and relief.  
  
"I just can't help but wonder that if he had never met me, maybe this wouldn't have happened to him."  
  
He didn't say anything stupid that she wouldn't have believed like "It wasn't your fault"  or "He'll be ok".  He just looked at her with compassionate eyes and wrapped his strong, warm arms around her.  She let the tears fall and realized it was the first time.  It was the first time she cried for her nightmare wedding, her wrong choice, Jimmy's pain, her unsure future, everything.  
  
In Davis' arms, she sighed heavily in relief, letting it all go.


	66. Chapter 66

_I'll have to be more careful in the future_ , Davis told himself.  That was too close.  
  
Clearly, Chloe believed Jimmy had been seeing things, as did the Met Gen staff, and the police.  Jimmy was still the only wild card.  Davis didn't know if the boy believed it was a hallucination or not.  Jimmy would know that _he_ hadn't altered the pump, but it still could have malfunctioned.  All reason pointed to Davis' innocence, but no one wanted to think their mind was playing tricks.

Because of his need to hunt, Davis tried to be the first on scene for the most grisly deaths.  While there was no one to be saved, they still needed someone to collect the bodies and bring them to the hospital to be declared.  Davis found that the one that committed the crime was often still there or lurking nearby.  The killers made a perfect sacrifice to the monster, and since their victims were already dead, there were no witnesses.  The victim went to the hospital as was expected.  The sacrifice went into the storage chest and later to the Smallville field.  That was what he expected with the drunk driver.  He thought the man was too incapacitated to run away, and could be safely dropped at the hospital.  Then he could reap the man for Doomsday while Davis still delivered a live person.  Unfortunately, he had miscalculated.  Now Davis would have to avoid hunts in the hospital until things settled down.  
  
He would also avoid Jimmy.  
  
Stashing the body in his rig hadn't been ideal, but it would look weird if he took it out during the day.  He was on night shift again tonight and tomorrow.  He found he preferred the late shifts now.  He no longer had friends to meet in the evening.  His apartment was always empty, but for some reason, it didn't feel so lonely during the day.  
  
Hunting was also easier at night.  No one thought it was odd to see an ambulance in a bad area late at night.  Assuming the people there "saw" anything at all.  
  
He made his way to his parked ambulance.  He reached the door just as a crash of breaking glass and a thump sounded.  He pulled the back door open.  He wasn't sure what he had expected, but Jimmy wearing a paramedic's uniform wasn't it.  
  
Davis thought fast.  "Jimmy, what are you doing here? Have you been searching for more pain meds?"  Davis crouched in front of Jimmy, where the boy sat on the rig's floor.  
  
Jimmy looked at him confused, but his face cleared quickly.  
  
 _He doesn't believe._  
  
Jimmy's words made that clear.  "Look, I know what you did. You stashed the body here till you could get rid of it."  
  
He forced a chuckle.  "What body?"  
  
"The guy, the --the drunk driver -- he's dead!"  
  
He looked away from Jimmy's accusing eyes.  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking.  Thank God the monster was still sated.  Jimmy was innocent, he didn't deserve what the monster would do if _it_ was in control instead of Davis.  
  
 _Ok, maybe he can be made to see reason._ Davis tentatively asked, "And maybe that isn't such a bad thing."  He looked up to watch Jimmy's expression.   "He ran a red light last night. He killed a young mother and her little girl on their way back from a ballet recital."  
  
He saw disbelief color Jimmy's features.  
  
Davis had made a mistake.  Jimmy hadn't been as sure as he was pretending to be.  
  
"You murdered him?"  
  
 _Murder.  
  
 **NO!**  
  
I am NOT a murderer.  I only kill to protect.  I only do what I have to.  I am NOT a murderer!!_  
  
"I-I didn't murder anyone."  The words were soft.  He couldn't meet Jimmy's eyes.  
  
"The body... it's right there, Davis."  Jimmy's voice was rising.  
  
 _Ok, time for more drastic measures._  
  
"Jimmy..."  Davis stood up and tried to appear casual as he leaned back against the side of the ambulance.  He knew exactly where it was.  He felt it with his fingers just...there!  He palmed the syringe.  "You don't know what you're seeing anymore. It's those damn drugs."  He lept upon the smaller man, flawlessly bringing the syringe up and plunging it into Jimmy's neck.  The boy looked at him with terrified eyes as Davis pressed the plunger and sent the drug cascading into his system.  He passed out seconds later.  Carefully withdrawing the needle, Davis thought fast.  
  
He had already established Jimmy as unstable with the Met Gen staff, the police, and even Chloe.  Jimmy himself had even seemed unsure before Davis had miscalculated and sort of confessed.  Keeping up the story of Jimmy abusing drugs and seeing things would make the most sense now.  The sedative would give him plenty of time to set his plan in motion and get clear.  
  
He would change the boy back into his own clothes, drop him back in his room, and pump him full of hallucinogens.  Then Davis would go back to his ambulance, making sure to be seen leaving on his route.  He would return in a few hours.  Hopefully he could catch Jimmy after he awoke.  The boy was going to be on a serious trip.  
  
Davis tapped into the monster.

* * *

  
  
It had gone perfectly.  
  
As luck would have it, Davis was back at Met Gen dropping off a patient when he heard a commotion from Jimmy's ward.  Orderlies and nurses were all rushing in the same direction.  Davis joined the rush.  
  
Jimmy was pounding on a closed door, screaming for Chloe.  Everyone seemed nervous about approaching the frantic man.  In his current state, Jimmy could easily lash out and hurt himself or anyone else.  
  
Davis reached out a hand and gripped Jimmy's shoulder, turning him around.  Jimmy shrugged him off and spun back to pounding on the door.  
  
Curious, Davis peeped in through the glass to see what may be so interesting about the room.  Nothing.  Just an empty patient room.  
  
 _Good._  
  
A nurse shouted, "Mr. Olsen, what did you take?"  
  
Also good.  
  
However, Davis didn't actually want any harm to befall the boy.  That was the point of this whole exercise.  He stepped forward with a hand out pleadingly.  "Jimmy..."  
  
The boy lashed back with an elbow, forcing him to retreat.  Jimmy returned to banging and screaming at the door.  
  
Finally, two orderlies charged the boy as a team and subdued him.  Davis made a show of checking the boy's eyes.  He already knew what was needed, of course.  He shouted at the nurse behind him.  "I need a shot of haldol-ativan."  
  
He reached forward to meet the boy's eyes.  His eyes reflected a terrible agony.  "That thing's killing Chloe! I need to save her!"  
  
Then they both looked up at Chloe's musical voice.  "Jimmy..."  
  
One of the nurses must have called her when Jimmy started his fit.  _Good thinking._  
  
She was wearing the same yellow coat from this morning.  _She must still have been at Isis.  That would also explain how she got here so fast._  
  
"Jimmy?" she asked in worry.  Jimmy was staring at her in disbelief, drinking in the sight of her like a starving man.  
  
For some reason, the monster within Davis growled.  Davis found himself talking to the monster.  _Yeah, I don't like it much either._  
  
Davis found he needed to touch her.  He stood up, and briefly gripped Chloe's arm.  "Don't worry. We'll take care of him."  
  
Her expression was complex as she looked down at Jimmy.  Sorrow.  Fear.  Shame.  Pain.  
  
A lot of pain.  
  
Maybe his plan wasn't so perfect after all.  He had brought Chloe more pain.  
  


* * *

  
  
As soon as he could, Davis got away from the hospital.  There had been a mound of paperwork to complete due to the incident with Jimmy.  It would have been suspicious if he had ducked out.  
  
He was due to hunt.  The excitement of the day and the pain he saw in Chloe's eyes had merely punched up the urgency.  
  
He made his way to a common crime area, his hands shaking.  He tried to keep his breathing regular, promising the monster that soon it would have a sacrifice.  
  
He saw a man pull a crowbar from under a jacket and try to pry the door to one of the warehouses open.  
  
 _Prey._  
  
No!  That was how the monster saw it.  This... _sinner_ was a sacrifice.  The killing was still a terrible thing.  It wasn't a choice.  It was a necessity to prevent a greater evil.  
  
Sweat broke out on his forehead as he watched the would-be burglar.  He was so focused on the man, that he didn't watch his feet.  The bottle skittering away seemed abnormally loud in the silence of the dark street.  The man fled.  Davis watched him run, trying to decide if he should tap the monster for speed or find a another sacrifice.  
  
PAIN!  
  
Something hit him hard from behind.  He fell to the street, dazed.  The blow had glanced off his skull.  
  
Something metal crashed to the ground behind him.  
  
Someone grabbed his wrist.  
  
Cold metal.  
  
A metallic zipppppp.  
  
I know that sound...  Davis painfully turned his head.  His other wrist was grabbed.  
  
Handcuffs.  
  
Another metallic zipppppp.  
  
His hoodie was snatched back.  
  
Davis was suddenly lucid again.  
  
Jimmy's voice behind him.  "I wasn't hallucinating."  Davis turned his head to look back at the boy in surprise.  _Jimmy?_ The boy was about the last person that Davis would have ever expected to attack him in a dark alley and handcuff him.  Jimmy held up a cut palm to him.  "I got this cut in your ambulance when I saw the dead body. You murdered that man."  
  
His plan to neutralize the boy had failed.  
  
The monster was not pleased at being denied his earlier prey.  Davis' disorientation had temporarily suppressed The Beast, but now it was returning.  It didn't care that Jimmy was an innocent.  It began to pour power into Davis, pushing him.  
  
It wanted the kill.  
  
"Jimmy...get away from me."  
  
"No. No. Not until you tell Chloe what you did. She's on her way right now."  How could the boy sound so calm?  
  
Davis pushed the power away.  He would try being gentle one more time... "You don't know what you're doing. You're not yourself."  
  
The boy leaned in on him again, sneering.  "That's what you want everyone to believe, isn't it? See, I thought it was just to cover up the murder. But then I saw you holding Chloe outside my room. You want me out of the way so you can have her all for herself, don't you?"  
  
 _Do you really think so little of your wife?  Do you think she wouldn't stand by you even if you had problems?_  
  
The monster felt his anger and fed from it.  It felt Davis' unwillingness to sacrifice the boy.  Doomsday would do it then.  His vision went red.  
  
Davis gave up on cajoling.  The Beast was taking control.  "Jimmy, please, for your own good, get out of here now!"  
  
In a harsh whisper, Jimmy spitefully replied, "I am not going anywhere until you confess what you did."  
  
Not to the police, not to the hospital.  Jimmy wanted him to confess to Chloe.  The boy wanted to ruin him in the eyes of Chloe.  
  
NO!  
  
Power poured through him.  He screamed in rage and pain as Doomsday began deforming his insides. The left handcuff snapped.  
  
The transformation paused when he heard a strange crackling sound.  
  
 _Electricity?_  
  
A thud followed instantly by a metallic crash.

He turned to see what caused the noise.  He caught a flash of yellow.  
  
Chloe's coat.  
  
He turned away, shielding his face with his hand.  He didn't want her to see him like this.  
  
It took him a second to realize that even though his vision was still red, the monster had paused.  Davis could speak again.  
  
He had to use the precious time to warn Chloe.  
  
"Chloe, please, go. Get out of here!"  
  
The monster choked off any further words.  It had just paused, not stopped.  It was returning again.  
  
"Davis... Davis, it's okay."  
  
He felt Chloe's presence behind him.  He bit his lip to hold back the screams as his face deformed.  The monster silenced any last warnings.  
  
He was falling into the black again.  Doomsday had control.  Inside his mind, Davis screamed at Chloe to _Run!  Run!!  RUN!!_  
  
He heard her voice.  It sounded like it was coming down a long tunnel.  _He can't hurt you, Davis._  
  
 _Yes, it can.  It will._  
  
Inside, Davis was screaming and crying.  He felt a sudden kinship with Jimmy as he had seen him earlier, pounded on those doors screaming Chloe's name.  
  
 _Does a broken heart still beat?  Would what comes next finally be the thing that kills me?_  
  
Then...he felt her gentle touch.  Her warm hand on his shoulder.  That was all.  But for an instant, for an eternity, everything just...stopped.  
  
The Beast paused, then retreated, confused.  
  
Davis returned to control of his body.  
  
Davis raised one of his hands to his face.  It was pink and...human.  
  
Doomsday had been in control, but had...retreated.  
  
That had never happened before without blood.  
  
He was suddenly overwhelmed.  No blood.   
  
Not Jimmy's blood.  
  
Not Chloe's blood.  
  
It was a miracle.  
  
He shifted to look at her.  
  
His savior.  
  
He had been right.  She was here to save him.  
  
His eyes swam slightly as he met her beautiful, worried green gaze.  "You saved me."


	67. Chapter 67

Chloe was exhausted.  
  
You would think after all her recent trauma she would be immune to danger by now, but she never did quite mange to shrug it off like Clark could.  
  
Davis had been amazing helping her get the unconscious Jimmy into her car and back to the hospital.  Once there, a relieved night staff helped her get her slowly waking husband from the car and back into bed.  She turned to thank Davis, but he had quietly slipped away without her noticing.

She sighed heavily.  _What do you say to the man that your husband beat up and handcuffed in an alley during a delusional fit?_ She didn't think Davis would press charges, but she knew cookies and beer didn't cover what Jimmy had put him through.  
  
She turned back to the bed where Jimmy was rousing.  For his own safety, the hospital staff had restrained him to the bed.  A doctor would be called in the morning to do a physch eval.  
  


* * *

  
  
The doctor changed Jimmy's pain meds.  He thought Jimmy's paranoid psychotic breaks were a side effect of his current meds.  The doctor also suggested he seek counseling for PTSD.  The new meds didn't have delusions as a side effect, but were highly addictive.  Jimmy would need to be monitored closely.  He advised that they extend Jimmy's stay at Met Gen so they could keep an eye on him.  
  
Jimmy flatly refused seeing any sort of therapist and almost went into another fit at the idea of staying longer at Met Gen.  
  
By signing Jimmy out against medical advice, Chloe knew watching over Jimmy's meds would fall to her.  But she didn't have the heart to force him to stay longer in the hospital.  Though how she would care for him properly was not going to be easy if he continued giving her the silent treatment.  
  
She tried to explain why she had to tazer him.  She tried to make him see that he had be having a psychotic episode.  That he hadn't been in his right mind.  She just did what she had to to protect both him and Davis.  
  
Jimmy turned away from her silently.  His stiff form radiated anger.  
  


* * *

  
  
_I've been a fool_ , Davis thought.  
  
 _You knew from the beginning there was something special about Chloe.  You knew she was meant to save you, save the world, but you talked yourself out of it.  You nearly lost today.  The Beast was free and would have slaughtered Jimmy and God knows how many other innocents, if not for her._  
  
Chloe was the answer and had been all along.  
  
 _The way you were instantly drawn to her.  You risked your job without second thought to save her friend.  She haunts your dreams and thoughts.  When she lost all her other memories, she still knew you.  So you must stay in her mind too.  Even in the fortress, that brain thing had taken Chloe's body.  Maybe to stop her from saving you?_  
  
He thought on the words of Not-Chloe.  _Feelings?  That was just a program I was running to bring you to me._  
  
It had been lying.  It had taken over Chloe, because it knew she was the one person that could save him.  
  
She had saved him from Doomsday twice now.  Once, inside the fortress program.  Again, last night in the alley.  
  
But what to do now?  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe knew she had lied to Clark.  She hadn't told him anything untrue, but she had still lied.  She had told him what she _hoped_ was true.  Not what was _actually_ true.  
  
 _"Jimmy's battle is finally over at Met Gen, and I get to pick up my wounded soldier."_  
  
She _hoped_ his battle was over, at least.  
  
 _"I didn't know he was coming home today. How's he doing?"_ Clark had asked.  
  
 _"Great. Jimmy and I made it out of the dark forest, and from now on, it's gonna be one long happily ever after."_ She hoped that was true.  Jimmy was still ignoring the demons inside him.  Would they go away if ignored?  She didn't think so, but she didn't know how to get him to confront them.  At least he hadn't had any further violent delusions.  Or so the hospital staff told her.  He was still silent to her.  
  
As she walked into Met Gen to sign out Jimmy, she smiled at several members of the staff that she had become friendly with during Jimmy's stay.  When she reached Jimmy's room, he was already up and dressed.  She began going through the paperwork with the nurse.  
  
Holding out a bottle of Jimmy's new pain pills, the nurse warned her again, "No more than three tablets a day.  They can be highly addictive. Good luck."  She gave Chloe one last sympathetic look before leaving.  
  
The nurse clearly didn't think Jimmy was ready to leave yet.  Chloe hoped she was doing the right thing by agreeing to take him out against medical advice.  
  
Jimmy snatched the bottle of pills from her as he made his way to the room's door.  
  
"Hey! You're not in this alone, you know," she told him in surprise. _Didn't he understand at all?  How long would he punish her?_  
  
For the first time since she tazed him, he spoke directly to her.  "I know how much you enjoy playing Florence Nightingale, but I can take care of myself."  
  
She paused, confused.  His words were harsh and hurtful, but at least he had spoken to her.  She rushed after him.  
  
"Jimmy, I know you're upset, but trust me, I just stopped you from doing something you would've regretted the rest of your life."  
  
She would never forget running into that alley to the sound of Davis' inhuman shouts while Jimmy stood over him with a metal pole held like a baseball bat.  
  
"Davis came after me, and I was protecting myself. But you don't believe me. You'd rather believe anyone else but me."  
  
 _Davis wasn't the one standing over a handcuffed man, ready to bash his head in..._  
  
But the Met Gen hallway wasn't the place to finally have this conversation.  
  
"People are watching us. Can we talk about this at home?"  She spoke quietly and calmly.  
  
"Home? We have no home, Chloe."  Even though his words were low, they were clipped and harsh.  
  
 _What?_  
  
"Okay, you still have a lot of drugs in your system, and --"  
  
"No, no, no.  My mind has never been so clear. I have put up with years of your taking someone else's side over mine -- first Clark and then _Davis_?!"  His voice rose loudly and disbelievingly on the EMT's name.  "Look, I realize now, that you just don't trust me."  He paused waiting for his next words to hit.  "You never have."  His words stabbed into her with their truth.  She didn't trust him.  She couldn't.  She held so many secrets.  Many not her own.  But she couldn't explain any of that to him.  
  
She could could only lie and try to make it up to him.  
  
He moved around her, leaving her behind.  She called after him.  
  
"Of course I trust you, Jimmy. I trust you with my whole heart. I'm your wife."  
  
The words were a mistake.  He spun around and stormed back to her, shouting.  "And that's what I don't understand -- why the hell did you even marry me?!"  
  
She didn't have an answer.  The tears sprang to her eyes.  She shouldn't have married him.  It was all her fault that he was so...broken.  
  
She was saved from having to find an answer by a security guard.  
  
"Sir, settle down."  
  
"I'm fine!" Jimmy shouted at the guard.  
  
She turned and reassured the guard.  "We were just leaving."  
  
Jimmy looked at her like she was something vile.  His voice was quieter, but still angry and forceful.  "I'm not going anywhere with you."  
  
"Come on Jimmy," she implored.  Tears began swimming in her eyes.  "We can work through this."  
  
How could she ever make her mistakes right, if he didn't give her a chance to try?  
  
"I am done trying to make this work."  His words were clipped and pulsed with barely controlled fury.  His hard eyes met her watery ones.  Then he spoke the words that she had been desperately trying to push away since she had been brought back by Clark and the Legion.  "Marrying you... was the biggest mistake of my life."  
  
His eyes were cold and hard and...perfectly dry.  He spun away and walked out the door without looking back.  
  
Her eyes overflowed with the tears.  Jimmy was a watery shape moving out the door.  
  
She was supposed to make it right.  She was supposed to be the best wife ever.  She was supposed to be the wife he needed and deserved.  She was supposed to make up for what happened to him.  She was supposed to be a good enough wife to make up for marrying him.  
  
She had failed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turbulence
> 
> Turbulence is an extremely powerful episode and well-named. So many character shifts happen here. It was important to me to stick with canon while digging more into the thoughts behind the characters' actions. While I don't go into Jimmy's mind directly, I do hope it is clear that he was suffering from some serious PTSD. He wasn't a jerk. He wasn't evil. He was suffering from a very serious mental disorder. His great mistake was that he wouldn't admit it or seek help. That decision cost him everything. Seriously though, the guy was nearly torn apart by a FREAKING MONSTER. I really think the writers of SV did him a disservice in barely mentioning that he may be traumatized aside from some half-hearted comments from Chloe. So I expanded it in offscreensville.


	68. Chapter 68

Sitting outside of Met Gen, Chloe got her tears under control enough to see who was calling her cell.  
  
Lois.  
  
"H-hello?" she said, but then burst into tears again.  
  
Instantly, Lois was on alert.  "Chloe?  What's wrong?  Is it Jimmy?"  
  
Swallowing back a sob, Chloe got out, "Yes.  He left me."  
  
"WHAT?!  You know what, where are you?  I'm on my way."  
  
"Met Gen."  
  
"Be there in five."  
  
"OK."  
  


* * *

  
  
For once, Lois was right on time.  Chloe was still sitting on a bench outside the hospital when Lois pulled up five minutes later.  The nurse from earlier had kindly come out to check on her.  Chloe knew the story of the blowout in the hall would be traveling like wildfire.  
  
Lois threw the car into park and dashed out to Chloe almost before it had stopped moving.  She sat down on the bench next to Chloe and wrapped her arms around her cousin.  
  
Chloe burst into fresh tears.  
  


* * *

 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lois asked when Chloe's tears slowed.

  
"Not right now.  Can you drive me home?  Jimmy took the car."

"Of course.  I'll just call Clark and tell him to cover for me."

The bright day was starting to cloud over.

* * *

Chloe looked up at the windows to the apartment over The Talon.  She saw a shape moving around inside the apartment.

_Jimmy?  Had he come home after all?_

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Lois asked, also looking up at the the shape moving around upstairs.

"No.  Thanks, Lois.  For everything."

She could feel Lois studying her.

"Ok, but you call me tomorrow?"

"I will."

Chloe turned to give her cousin a hug.  She stepped out of the car into the swiftly descending night.  She made her way into The Talon as a gentle rain started coming down.

* * *

It was Jimmy in the apartment, but he hadn't changed his mind about them.  He was packing up his things.

They fought.  Or at least Chloe thought of it as fighting.  She stood numb while Jimmy raged at her.

He brought up every time she chose Clark over him, every date she missed, every lie she told.

Chloe stood immobile before the hateful assault.  She knew she could be angry too, but was in too much shock.

In the hospital, Chloe had seen warnings that the boy she had known was changed.  She kept saying to herself he may be broken, but she could fix him.

She had never considered that the sweet boy she had known could be completely gone.

The hateful, twisted man screaming at her was a stranger.

* * *

Jimmy slammed out of the apartment.  He had taken several bags, but she expected he would come back another time for the rest of his things.

Space.  He said he needed his own space.

She couldn't bear to look around the apartment.  He had torn it apart.

She moved to the window as she heard a car peal away.

He was gone.

She stood before the glass and watched the rain pour down.

* * *

The hospital staff were quick to tell Davis about Jimmy's blowout with Chloe.

The Beast shifted within him.  He had to see her.

Tapping into the monster's power, he was in Smallville in seconds.  He slowed and walked the last few steps across from The Talon.  He stood for a moment, not sure what to do next.  The rain beat down upon him, soaking him through.  He didn't even notice.  He felt her presence.  He lifted his eyes up to the upper windows of the coffee shop.  He saw Chloe sitting in the window of the apartment.  Tears were falling down her face.  How could she still be so beautiful to him even when she cried?  The rousing monster calmed.

She looked despondently out at the rain, not really seeing anything.  He saw her hold up her left hand.

Looking at the wedding ring.

Had Jimmy really been fool enough to leave her?

He drank in the sight of her.

_My angel.  My savior._

Free?

_Mine._

He longed to go to her, but knew now wasn't the right time.

For now, he would just watch over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the rain
> 
> So I think the shot of Davis standing in the rain outside Chloe's apartment is one of the most poignant moments of the season. I hope I did it justice.


	69. Chapter 69

The next day, Lois showed up at Chloe's apartment.  Despite the fact it was mid-afternoon, Chloe was still wrapped in a bundle of covers in bed, staring into space.  
  
"You didn't call as you promised, so here I am," Lois declared.  She whipped the covers off Chloe.  With her usual brisk efficiency, Lois got her cousin showered and dressed and into her car.  Lois took her to a nearby bar and ordered two large screwdrivers.  When they arrived, Lois took one and turned to her cousin.  Still a bit dazed by hurricane Lois, Chloe sat for a moment blinking.  Lois looked at her expectantly, then took a sip of her drink.  
  
"Spill," Lois demanded.  
  
So Chloe did.  Haltingly at first, she told Lois about the state of her mind when she had married Jimmy.  She told her about the guilt.  She told about wanting to make up for him being injured.  She only left out the part about Brainiac and the Legion. Otherwise, Chloe held nothing back.  She even told about Lois about her confusion over Davis and how she hadn't been honest on her wedding day.  She broke into tears again when she described the fights with Jimmy and how he had turned into someone she didn't know.  Lois was remarkably silent the whole time.  
  
Finally, Chloe was done with as much as she could tell.  She finished the last of the drink and looked up at her cousin.  
  
Lois was silent a moment, tapping a fingernail on the bar.  She appeared deep in thought.  
  
Chloe waited for what felt like and eternity before Lois finally said, "You are both idiots."  
  
Chloe blinked.  That wasn't what she expected.  
  
Lois took another drink before turning to face Chloe's wide eyes.  "Chloe, you can't be held responsible for what happened at your wedding.  It was a freaking _monster_.  So stop feeling you 'owe' Jimmy something."  
  
"But if I hadn't--"  
  
Lois snapped a hand up, cutting off Chloe's words.  "I'm not done."  Lois glared at her.  Actually glared.  "Getting to marry you is the best break Jimmy Olsen ever got.  It was horrible what happened to him, but it wasn't your fault.  He was lucky to be there marrying you.  It just sucked what else also decided to show."  
  
Lois paused for another sip of her drink.  Chloe remained silent.  
  
"If he is too dumb to realize that, he doesn't deserve you.  As damaged as you say he is, he should be more willing to accept your flaws, not less.  If he can't see that, then maybe you are both right.  Maybe getting married was the wrong thing to do."  
  
"But I --"  
  
"I'm.  Not.  Done."  
  
Chloe's jaw snapped shut again at Lois' glare.  
  
"As for you -- why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?  I could have helped before it got to this point."  
  
"I tried that day in the dress shop --"  
  
"You call that trying?  You asked me why I thought you were getting married.  Not if you should.  You also didn't say you had no idea why you were doing it.  I need the facts, Chloe.  The whole story, dammit!"  
  
Chloe looked away sheepishly.  
  
Lois reached over and took her hands gently.  Chloe looked up and saw that Lois was looking at her sympathetically.  Her voice was much softer as she said, "Chloe, I love you and will stand by whatever you decide, but believe me when I say that you don't owe anyone anything.  If you love him, and want to build a life together, reach out.  Try to fix things.  If Jimmy agrees, he will reach back.  Work together to get him the help he needs.  If he doesn't want help, or if you don't want that life, then let him go.  Stop trying to force it.  Stop going around him.  Stop hiding behind your fantasy of this perfect, normal life you think you have with Jimmy.  It doesn't exist."  
  
Chloe felt her eyes filling yet again.  She numbly nodded her head.  Lois was right.  
  
Turning, Lois shouted to the bartender for two more drinks.  
  
Then meeting Chloe's watery eyes, she gave her hands a firm shake.  "For now though, I will let you wallow, curse Jimmy, curse all men, and declare the praises of the best cousin who ever lived."  
  
Chloe couldn't help but give a watery laugh.  
  
Turning toward the bartender again, Lois shouted, "Hey, you guys got any White Snake to play in this joint?"  
  


* * *

  
  
Several hours, and many drinks later the cousins sat laughing at the bar.  
  
Picking her head up from the bar, Chloe choked out between laughs, "Well at least this relationship didn't end with Jimmy trying to kill me."  
  
Lois, snapped her head around and asked with a disbelieving laugh, "What?"  
  
Taking another sip of her drink, Chloe replied, "Oh yeah, that's happened more than once.  One time he tried to kill both me _and_ Lana.  He was seeing us both."  
  
"Wow," Lois said as she also sipped.  "Here I thought I was a winner of worst break ups with my excessive run of 'I'm shipping off tomorrow' dumps."  
  
Chloe chuckled again around her drink.  
  
Suddenly, Lois looked resolute and slammed her drink down.  She tried very hard to look firm and serious.  She failed only slightly as she swayed the tiniest bit.  It took a great deal to get Lois Lane drunk.  "Chloe, we need a party."  
  
"What?"  
  
"A party.  We need one.  After the wedding, and Jimmy being an ass--"  
  
"An ass!" Chloe chimed in drunkenly, raising her glass.  
  
"I think you deserve one.  Your birthday is next week.  Let me throw you one."  
  
Suddenly, Chloe felt a lot less drunk.  "Oh no, Lois.  No.  The last time you threw me a birthday party, we got body-snatched by a bunch of horny witches."  
  
"I'm sure nothing like that will happen.  We can throw it in Metropolis.  I'm sure Oliver will let us use Ace of Clubs."  
  
"I'm not so sure..."  
  
"Aww, come on, Chloe.  It will be fun.  We can invite the folks from The Planet, Ollie, Lana...  I may even invite Clark."  
  
Chloe sighed.  She knew she wasn't going to win this one.  She really didn't much like birthdays, mainly because hers never seemed to go well.  
  
"Alright..."  She hoped she didn't regret it.


	70. Chapter 70

Over the next few days, Chloe thought about what Lois had said.  Was her cousin right?  Was she wrong for thinking she owed Jimmy?  
  
Lois was right about the monster crashing the wedding.  It was just one of the awful things that sometimes happened in Smallville.  She had been there to commit herself to him like he wanted.  Looking at it that way, it made no sense for her to feel guilty.  
  
Maybe if Jimmy would just _talk_ to her, she could try to make sense of things.  Even if she hasn't been in her right mind, she had made promises.  She would try if he would, but she was done feeling guilty.  
  
Lois said Chloe deserved to be happy too and she was right.  She would go to Lois's party.  She would be with the people she loved - even if they did make Jimmy jealous.  If they decided to make it work, he would have to change too.  He couldn't be the insecure boy or the hateful man.  They would be partners, best friends, and most of all -- they would have to trust.  Trust even when the other person couldn't say why.  He would have to trust she wasn't leaving him for Clark, or that if he was acting insane, that what she did was in his best interests.  For her part, she would be more open with Jimmy about her thought and feelings.  She would come clean about her memory loss and how it had impacted her.  Though of course she would leave out all the alien elements.  She would put away her attraction to Davis for good, but after everything they had shared, she refused to give up his friendship.  
  
For now, she would give Jimmy the space he wanted.  
  
For once, she hoped to have a good birthday.  She picked up her phone to text Davis.  
  


* * *

 

  
Davis stood on the dark street outside Isis.  He couldn't see Chloe, but the light was still on.  She was probably in the back room.  It was enough to know she was up there.  He could extend the amount of time between kills if he took this quiet time to be close to Chloe's presence.

To completely suppress the monster, he had to be physically with her.  This distant _feel_ of her only acted as a band-aid.  It just bought him time.

But time meant lives.  Even if they were evil, he would not take their lives unless forced.  It wasn't _right_ otherwise.

He had already decided that he couldn't tell Chloe about Doomsday or her power over the monster.  If he did, he would have to confess all.  Especially the killings.  He couldn't do that to her.  Or to himself.

_I could lose her..._

The monster inside grumbled as if in disturbed sleep.

He quickly pushed the thought away.  He couldn't risk upset now.  It was getting to be too long since the last kill.  He would have to hunt again soon, even with the balm of knowing Chloe was nearby.

His cell phone chirped with an incoming text.  He frowned slightly.  No one texted him anymore.  He had pushed everyone away.  It was for their own safety, though only he knew that.

He looked at the screen.

Chloe: What is your email address?

_Huh.  Wonder why she needs that?_ He texted back.

Davis: Why?

Chloe: Sending evites to my birthday party.

Davis broke into a grin.  Chloe was asking him to see her on her birthday.  That was an excellent sign.  He hadn't seen Jimmy around Chloe at all for the last several days.  If she was inviting him, Davis, then it must really be over between her and Jimmy.  _God, what a moron.  But all the better for me._

He texted again.

Davis: Does this mean you are inviting me?

Chloe: Technically Lois is.  She is throwing the party.

He laughed, and texted her back.

Davis: So do I bring a present for her or for you?

Chloe: Both.  :)

He laughed again, and sent her his email address.  Thinking a moment, he texted again.

Davis: When is it?

Chloe: Sunday.

_Crap!_ He had to work and it was too short notice to switch shifts.  He was still low-man because of his disappearance.  It didn't help that the number of patients he saved was reduced too.  Too many had gone to sate the monster.

He resolved that he would still get her something and drop it by to show he wasn't blowing her off.  He quirked a half-smile.  He would get something for Lois too.


	71. Chapter 71

Chloe was sitting on her couch reviewing Isis files when she heard the strangest noise.  She furrowed her brow at her apartment door.  
  
Someone had knocked.  
  
No one ever knocked.  Usually people just walked right in.  She felt odd calling out, "Come in!"

  
Davis opened the door.  He was carrying a large birthday patterned gift bag.

Her face broke into a welcome grin as she got up from the couch.  "Hey!  I didn't think I'd see you today."  
  
He smiled back widely.  "Hey there, birthday girl!" He held out the bag to her.  "Just stopping by to drop this off before my shift tonight."  He made a wry face.  "I'm so sorry I can't make it to your party.  Unfortunately after my leave, I'm low man when it comes to time off."  
  
Chloe took the bag.  It was surprisingly heavy.  "Well I'm so glad you came by.  You actually got to be the first to wish me happy today."  She peeped over the top of the bag.  "Can I open it?"  
  
He waved his hands at her. "Yeah, yeah, of course!  Open!"  
  
She didn't even try to be adult about it.  She ripped out the multicolored tissue paper from the top.  She looked at Davis in surprise at the large number of items in the bag.  
  
He grinned at her.  
  
She reached into the bag and pulled out the first item.  
  
"Tequila?"  She raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
He put his hands in his front jeans pockets and rocked back on his heels in an endearingly boyish way.  "For doing shots with Lois," he explained.  
  
She let out a laugh.  "So that is a gift for both of us then."  She cocked an eyebrow at him.  "But you do know the party is at Oliver's club, right?  We drink free."  
  
He rolled his eyes.  "So do it to celebrate the one week anniversary of your birthday."  
  
She laughed again and shook her head as she placed the bottle down.  She reached into the bag again.  She looked at him quizzically.  She pulled out two more bottles.  One was plastic bottle of water and the other was a premixed bloody Mary.  "Am I sensing a theme?"  
  
"Well, one is just hydration and the other is hair of the dog."  
  
"Bloody Mary, huh?  Without celery?  How savage."  
  
He grinned back.  "Keep going."  
  
She burst out laughing as she came up with a single slightly wilted celery stalk.  Brandishing it like a scepter, she said, "Touché!"  
  
She pulled out a rather large square item that was actually in wrapping paper.  Davis reached forward and snatched it from her.  "That one last." Now she was very curious, but went back to digging in the bag.  
  
She laughed when she pulled out the bottle of aspirin and the business card for a taxi service.  When she reached the last item in the bag - a Nancy Sinatra CD, she laughed uproariously.  It was a reference to their karaoke night.  "I'm going to practice to that now, you know."  
  
"Oh, I hope so.  Those girls won't know what hit 'em next time."  
  
She raised a brow.  "Next time?"  
  
"Yeah, before you are discovered and realize this whole meteor thing was just killing time until you can host the VMA's"  
  
It was so absurd she had to laugh.  When was the last time she had laughed this much?  
  
She craned to look around him at the still wrapped gift that he had placed on the table.  "So do I get that now?"  
  
He sighed theatrically.  "I guess..."  
  
She waggled her fingers.  "Gimmie!  Gimmie!  Gimmie!"  
  
He handed it over with a smile.  She examined it closely before unwrapping to see if she could figure out what it was.  It was rectangular, about an inch thick, hard, and not too heavy.  Didn't feel like a book.  A picture maybe?  She looked at him in question, but he had placed two fingers over his lips to hide a smile as he watched her examination.  She gave up trying to figure it out, and started shredding paper.  
  
She had been close when she guessed a picture, but this was so much better.  It was a framed front page from _The Daily Planet_ from the day she was born.  She looked at Davis in wonder.  "How did you...?"  
  
He knew what she meant.  _How did he get hold of such an old copy?  How did he find something she would appreciate so much?  How did you **know**?_  
  
He answered all her unspoken questions.  "On their website, _The Daily Planet_ sells reprints of a specific date for a fee.  I just picked your birthday and ordered it.  It came yesterday and I bought the frame during lunch."  
  
 _Wow, really?_ That was so thoughtful.  She took a little more time to examine it now that her shock was wearing off.  She saw now that the paper was indeed new.  It was a reprint like he said.  The headline for the day was huge text that read HERO FIREFIGHTER SAVES SIX FROM BLAZE.  It was even by a female reporter -- Margot Kidder.  Her eyes started to water a bit.  So many headlines were bad, she thought it was a very positive sign that the day of her birth was heralded by a hero written about by a woman.  It felt right somehow, all things considered.  She also was touched by the link to her reporter past.  It was such a big part of her.  She looked back up at Davis with shining eyes.  
  
He looked nervous.  "Do you like it?  I remembered you saying you used to be a reporter, and I liked that the cover was about helping people, like you do here now, and... you like it?"  
  
"I love it, Davis."  
  
"OK good, because it was that or something dumb like a --"  
  
She cut him off.  "A sterling silver nut bowl?"  
  
He paused, laughing.  "A what?"  
  
She laughed and shook her head.  "Nevermind."  
  
"I was going to say teddy-bear-shaped scented candle, but I'm sure I can find the other thing if you'd rather have that."  
  
She laughed, but then stopped when a thought occurred to her.  Jimmy had actually given her a scented candle.  Though it wasn't teddy-bear-shaped.  
  
She looked at Davis seriously.  "Would you really have bought a candle?"  
  
He looked at her oddly.  "Um, no.  Chloe, you only buy a candle if you don't have any idea what to get a woman.  It is up there with bath products.  It's a default."  
  
Chloe gaped at him, before breaking into hysterical laughter.  She carefully placed the lovely framed page down, before she collapsed into the chair next to the table.  
  
Jimmy had bought her bath products too.  
  
Davis was looking lost.  "I feel like I'm missing something."  
  
She pulled herself together.  She must look insane.  This man that she had known for six months had gotten her the most thoughtful gift of her life, while her husband was buying her default gifts.  
  
She wasn't quite ready to say _ex_ -husband.  
  
When she was back in control, she rested a hand on the frame.  "I really do love it, Davis.  Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome, Chloe."  He glanced up and caught a look at the clock.  "Hey, I've got to run.  Have to get back to Metropolis for my shift."  
  
"Oh, OK. " She stood up and followed him the few steps over to the door.  
  
He opened the door and paused in the doorway.  "Happy birthday, Chloe.  Be safe tonight.  Don't drive."  He started to leave, but turned back.  "Call me if you need anything, Chloe.  I mean it."  
  
His concern was touching.  Misplaced, but touching.  Oliver was sending a driver.  
  
"I'll be fine.  It's just a party with a few people.  Nothing big at all.  Have fun at work."  
  
She didn't even think about it, what she did next.  It just felt natural.  She stood up on her tip toes and kissed him goodbye.  It was just a quick peck of the lips, but it was the kind of thoughtless affection of a girlfriend or wife.  Someone used to kissing the other person.  It shocked both of them.  
  
Chloe stepped back, suddenly feeling embarrassed and flustered.  She was married, dammit!  Well sort of.  Jimmy had walked out on her, but she wasn't sure if she was quite ready to throw in the towel yet.  She had made promises.  She had tried calling him and sending him emails, but no reply yet.  
  
"Davis, I..."  
  
Then she slammed the door in his face.  
  
Why the hell had she done that?  
  
A knock sounded cautiously at the door.  She dropped her face into her hands.  How had she suddenly turned so awkward?  Pulling herself together again, she opened the door for Davis.  He had a comical shift eyed expression that went from her to the door and back.  "What was that?"  
  
"Dementia?  I am getting up there, you know."  
  
"Ah, Ok." He shifted forward into the doorway.  He folded one arm across his body and gripped a bicep.  The finger of one hand thoughtfully tapped at his lips.  "I can help treat that, you know."  
  
His playfulness relaxed her.  She smiled, more at ease.  "Oh yeah?  How?"  
  
Suddenly the playfulness shifted to heat in his eyes.  His tapping finger paused.  He held her gaze, as he _unfolded_ towards her.  Something in his movement made her think of a panther.  Something large and dangerous.  He stepped forward and one of his arms reached out around her.  He held her eyes as he slowly pulled her tight against him.  Holding her eyes, he lowered his head as he said softly, "Just like this..."  
  
He caught her lips in a heavy, drugging kiss.  She never even considered resistance.  She pressed her body into him and grasped his head as the kiss deepened.   When she felt his tongue smooth over her lips, she parted them.  His tongue was a hot moist invasion.  She felt his body pushing back against her and she realized they were standing in the apartment doorway kissing.  Anyone in The Talon below could see them if they looked up.  They stepped backward into the apartment without breaking the kiss.  Once back inside, Davis slammed the door closed.  He spun her until her back was against the door.  His kisses assaulted her senses.  She wasn't thinking, just feeling.  Kissing Davis felt amazing.  She wanted more.  She was braced against the door.  It gave her the stability to run her foot up along his leg.  He responded by pressing his hips into hers.  She could feel the shape of him through the jeans.  
  
 _God!  Was that all him?!_  
  
She moaned against his mouth.  
  
Suddenly the door thumped behind them, followed instantly by Lois' voice.  "Oww!  What the hell, Chloe!  Something is wrong with your door!"  
  
Davis stepped away, and Chloe ran a hand through her mussed hair.  As soon as their weight was off the door, Lois fell through it into the room.  Sure let out a string of curses about the door and its probably ancestry, none of which were trees.  
  
Pushing her hair back off her face, Lois spotted Davis.  She frowned.  "What are you doing here?"  
  
Thinking fast, Chloe grabbed the tequila bottle Davis had brought and displayed it to her cousin.  "He was dropping this off.  Birthday gift."  
  
Looking suspicious, but always interested in tequila, Lois took the bottle from Chloe and checked the brand.  She gave a surprised and approving look.  "Not bad."  
  
Catching Davis' eye, Chloe sent him a look telling him to take advantage of her cousin's distraction.  
  
"Yeah, well, Chloe, happy birthday.  Have fun tonight.  Good to see you again, Lois."  
  
Chloe could set him debating on what to do now.  Kiss?  Peck on the cheek?  Wave?  His eyes darted to Lois so he settled on just nodding his head and walking out.  
  
Lois was already twisting the bottle top off as she distractedly said bye.  
  
Chloe smiled at her cousin.  She moved to close the door when the phone in her pocket buzzed.  She fished it out and saw a text from Davis.  She looked up and saw him standing down in The Talon.  
  
 _Have dinner with me?_  
  
She glanced back in the apartment, but Lois was digging in the cabinet for glasses.  She started to type, when her ring just happened to flash in the light.  _Jimmy!_ She had completely forgotten about him.  
  
It had been nearly two weeks and he hadn't responded to any of her calls or emails.  She still didn't know what to do.  
  
She paused for a minute looking at the ring.  She could feel Davis looking at her from below.  She backspaced, and wrote a new text.  
  
 _I have to think about it._

 


	72. Chapter 72

Chloe stood out on the balcony of The Ace Of Clubs lost in thought.  This morning with Davis had given her a lot to think about.  That kiss...oh, God.  Did a kiss that hot count as cheating?  She had felt guilty about her initial kiss with him outside The Talon, and that was like comparing a garden hose to Niagara Falls.  She played with her wedding ring.  Was it wrong to consider a future with Davis while things were still unresolved with Jimmy?  She felt trapped.  She was Jimmy's wife, but he hadn't spoken to her since the night he walked out.  She didn't even know where he was now.  She didn't want to give up on her promises, but she hated this limbo.  
  
She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize anyone had joined her on the balcony until a present appeared before her.  The tag proclaimed _From Clark_.  She smiled in delight and turned towards him.

"Clark.  You shouldn't have..."  
  
But it was Oliver, not Clark.  Disappointment washed over her.  
  
Oliver looked somewhat hurt as he explained, "Uh, Clark's sorry he couldn't make it.  He and Bart are off--"  
  
She interrupted.  "Dealing with the crisis in Keystone.  I know."  She had told them she could help, but they had told her to go to her party instead.  She would rather have been helping them.  Even though she knew they saw it as a kindness, she couldn't help the pain.  She didn't like being sidelined.  She also didn't like that Clark had abandoned her tonight.  It may not be truly reasonable, but Clark was supposedly her best friend.  She had expected him to stop by with his super speed.  Or at least call.  Ever since her memory was taken over by Brainiac months ago, she had felt something...off between them.  
  
Nodding towards the gift, Oliver encouraged, "Well, come on. Let's, uh --let's see what you got."  
  
Complying, she lifted the lid and pulled back the tissue paper to reveal a book. _Tales of the Weird and Unexplained._ She smiled fondly in memory.  "Wow. I haven't seen this in ages."  She felt a sharp pang of sadness mixed with love.  This was the sort of touching thoughtfulness that she loved in Clark.  The fact he wasn't here to give it made the off-ness between them even more painful.  
  
Looking at her in concern, Oliver asked, "You OK?"  
  
 _Pull it together, Sullivan._  
  
"Yeah. Birthdays just make me a little reflective."  
  
She felt stuck in place while everything slipped away around her.  She didn't know what she wanted, or what she could do about it.  
  
"What do you say we get you out of your head and into the party, huh? Come on."  
  
She nodded and picked up the gift.  Inside, the first thing she saw was Lois looked stunning in a short, tight dress.  She was laughing easily with a few Daily Planet staffers.  She fit in the newspaper world so easily.  
  
Without really thinking, she pointed to her cousin "See? Case in point. That was supposed to be my life. Ollie, when did this happen? One day I'm on the fast track for my dream career as the intrepid reporter, and then I blink. And all of a sudden, I'm this underqualified shrink for meteor-infected kids who will probably wake up to be psycho killers, while Lois and Clark are walking the beat with matching press passes together. Oh, and did I mention that I was actually able to hold on to "happily ever after" for about 2.3 seconds before my marriage imploded?"  
  
She didn't know why the sudden rush of words and feeling came pouring out, especially to Oliver.  He wasn't particularly sympathetic.  Though when he said she might be jealous, her immediate reaction was to deny it.  Though _maybe_ she was jealous.  Everything seemed so simple for Lois.  No MIA husband, no best friend that couldn't even call on her birthday, no confusing feelings for a darkly sexy man who was assaulted by her husband.  Everything was perfect for Lois.  
  
Maybe that was why when the magician lady asked her to make a wish and her eyes landed on Lois she thought, _I wish I was Lois_.  
  


* * *

  
  
Silently thanking Davis for delivering aspirin as part of her birthday gift, Chloe took two pills and flopped back on the bed.  She hadn't bothered getting undressed or washed.  Lois' silly tiara still sat on her head.  It was her birthday, she should be happy, but she really just wanted it over.  
  
She still had no idea what to do -- about Jimmy, or Davis, or anything.  
  
She had completely forgotten her birthday wish when her eyes closed.  
  
Zatanna's spell didn't forget _her_ though.  When Chloe woke up, she had Lois's shape.

* * *

  
  
After calling Lois to make sure she was OK, Chloe decided to track down the magician lady from last night.  Her first stop was back to The Ace of Clubs.  She hoped they might have a lead on who the magician was from last night or where to find her.  The _who_ was answered by a poster outside the club.  All she needed now was _where_.  While she came up empty on that, she finally saw her long lost husband.  
  
She had started to fear something had happened to him.  Seeing him, she melted a little.  She rushed over and threw her arms around him.  She had been suppressing her worry without really knowing how much it weighed her down.  
  
He stood stiffly.  "Oh, the ice woman melteth."  
  
She released him quickly.  In her relief, she had forgotten she had Lois's form.  
  
He smiled that sweet smile she had liked so much, but she couldn't help but notice the dark bags under his eyes.  He also looked incredibly sallow with dull eyes.  She had never seen him look this bad even when he was injured.  She almost wanted to think he looked strung out.  
  
Chuckling, he said, "Good to see you too, Lois."  He paused as she continued to stare at his unhealthy look.  "I guess my invite to the big birthday shindig got lost in the mail."  
  
 _What?  Was he serious?_ She had been trying to get hold of him for weeks!  
  
Biting back the retort, she tried to sound reasonable.  "Well, you said you needed space."  Realizing her words sounded wrong coming from Lois, she corrected, "I mean, that is what Chloe told me."  
  
He just blinked at her a moment.  
  
Does he realize his mistake?  Does he know that he should talk to her?  
  
Breaking her gaze, he said, "Anyway I, uh -- Gotta go!"  He reached for his camera bag.  
  
"No, no, Jimmy.  Wait," she pleaded.  He paused, looking at her.  Again, taking in his poor shape, she had to ask, "How are you?"  She paused, then rushed on, "I know things between you two are a little rough lately --"  
  
He cut her off with a hint of the anger she had seen from him at the hospital.  "Rough?" He brought his voice under control and smiled mirthlessly.  "Yeah.  No.  My wife sided against me with a serial killer."  
  
 _Oh Jimmy, you still haven't gotten help, have you?  Don't you realize how disturbed you sound?_  
  
Instead she said, "I--She wasn't trying to side.  Chloe don't want things to happen the way they did."  
  
He quietly said, "Yeah.  Yeah."  
  
 _Was he hearing her?  Was there hope for them?_  
  
Then he put up a smiling wall.  "I'm going to be late for work."  
  
He moved around her.  She couldn't let him dash off again just when she might be getting through.  "Jimmy, wait."  Her voice became strong and insistent.  "You should talk to her."  
  
He paused again and seemed to be considering.  Then he shot her down.  "Lois.  I get the whole concerned cousin thing, but how many signs does a guy need?"  
  
 _Oh Jimmy.  You used to think everything was a sign we should be together.  Has that changed too?_  
  
"I never should have taken her number on that cocktail napkin."  
  
 _Oh God.  Not that.  How can he say that?_ That hit where she lived.  That hit into her seemingly bottomless guilt about the wedding attack.  She was trying to leave that behind.  
  
"You -- You don't really mean that, do you?"  
  
He looked away silently for for a heartbreakingly long time.  Looking back, he spoke uncertainly.  "I don't know."  
  
Pausing, she could see that he really didn't.  Pain pierced her.  
  
Looking at her more steadily, but with a soft voice, "Today is just one of those days I wish I could be anyone but me.  So it wouldn't hurt so bad."  
  
She saw pain in his eyes too and actually felt a little better.  This wasn't easy for him.  He couldn't just shut down either.  
  
He must have seen something in her eyes because he asked, "Know what I mean?"  Then without another word he left.  
  
He couldn't hear her, but she replied anyway.  "Yeah.  I know what you mean."  
  
A lump settled in her stomach.  That had felt like a goodbye.  
  


* * *

 

Next Chloe went to Daily Planet to do some research on Zatanna.  She couldn't use the Isis computers since she had installed biometric locks.  When Clark had stolen her client sign in sheet months ago, she had thought it a good precaution.  Now it was working against her.

Besides, if Clark decided to whirl back into town he was likely to end up at the newspaper.  
  


* * *

  
  
It was very strange impersonating Lois and being back at The Daily Planet.  It was a very different place now than it was under Lex Luthor.  Bright and busy without the air of fear and uncertainty.  
  
It was even stranger seeing her life through Lois' eyes.  Clark was...different around Lois.  He took six calls from Lois while he skipped out on Chloe?  
  
He was also surprisingly honest about his feelings about the state of Chloe's relationship with Jimmy.  His comment about two sides threw her completely.  His follow up about her not believing in Jimmy struck too close to the bone.  
  
Was that true?  Was that the reason she hid so much from Jimmy?  She had told herself it was for his own good...but was that true?  Hiding her memory loss...how was that protecting Jimmy?  Not telling him about spending time (as friends) with Davis.  How did that protect Jimmy?  
  
 _It didn't.  It protected you.  You didn't want to deal with his accusations and jealousy.  You didn't want him to think you were a freak - meteor or otherwise.  You didn't want to show him the hidden sides of you that you don't always like._  
  
She must have been silent too long, because Clark cut into her thoughts.  
  
"Lois, are you all right?"  
  
She would have time to dwell on that later.  "No, I am definitely not all right."  
  
A beeper went off, and by the time Clark turned back to her, Chloe had resolved to let this charade play out a little longer.  It had been...revealing.  And maybe a little bit fun.  It felt like she was getting a look at her "should have" life.  No fractured marriage, no confusing EMT's that looked at her with hot eyes, no job that she couldn't gauge except by hope -- here she was just hunting the story.  
  
She tried her best determined Lois expression.  "Start your engines...Smallville."  
  


* * *

  
  
She felt more comfortable in Lois' clothes.  Her own had fit much too tightly on Lois...as Clark was so kind to point out.  
  
But she wasn't used to Lois' shoes.  
  
When she fell, Clark caught her.  Which wasn't surprising.  What _was_ surprising was the look he gave her as she lay in his arms.  
  
 _God, what I wouldn't have given three years ago to have him look at me like that..._  
  
Though there was someone who looked at her like that now.  Davis.  She pushed the thought away.  Focus on the easy life -- Lois.  
  
Hearing a man screaming in Latin, she took off towards it.  
  


* * *

  
  
When the man screamed Zatanna, she knew it was time to drop the deception.  She didn't actually want to stay Lois, after all.  She also had the wicked pleasure of seeing Clark stupefied.  
  
She also got to call him out for missing her party and not calling.  That had been nagging at her since he had mentioned Lois' six -- _Six!_ \-- phone calls.  
  
Not that she was dwelling.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis pulled up in his ambulance to the oddest scene.  A man in a bathrobe man was standing on a balcony raving in...Latin?  
  
Getting out of the rig, he looked up. The man was brandishing a pillow like a weapon as he shouted through his megaphone.  Davis couldn't help but smile, it was such an odd scene.  
  
Movement off to the side caught his attention.  He saw Clark and Chloe leaving the scene.  He did a double take.  No, it was Clark and _Lois_.  He stared in puzzlement as they continued walking away.  Something about Lois seemed off.  It reminded him of Chloe.  Something in her walk.  
  
He shook his head.  He must be seeing things.  His quick shift turnaround had him all screwy.  
  
He would almost have sworn that was Chloe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Start of Hex
> 
> I love Chloe's pensive look at the start of Hex and really wanted to go in her head, especially after my last Offscreensville chapter. :) I would love to claim credit for Davis recognizing Chloe as Lois, but it was inspired by "Beyond Recognition" by Squeeka Cuomo on fanfiction.net.


	73. Chapter 73

Talking with Clark outside the magician's theater felt like the old days.  They were hot on a case together, doing something important.  So often now it felt like all he needed from her was a search engine.  This was different.  She wasn't Google, she was the sidekick again.  It reminded her of better days.  
  
He was even talking to her like a real person again.

"You just woke up like this? How did I not pick up on it sooner?" he asked.  
  
 _Maybe because you've been avoiding having any sort of real conversation with me since I announced my engagement?_ she thought somewhat spitefully before mentally chiding herself.  
  
"Forget about it. This is my Shakespearean nightmare, not yours. Although it has been awfully illuminating."  She looked at him significantly.  
  
"Listen, what I said about Jimmy..."  
  
She sighed.  He was just being Clark, trying to see both sides.  She wished he would take her side on principle, but then he wouldn't be Clark.  "You're an equal-opportunity good guy. I get it. I guess I'm just not used to seeing you from this perspective."  
  
That much was true.  He hadn't said anything to her about his thoughts on her separation, but he had opened up to Lois?  On top of everything else she had seen today, that was...interesting.  And a little bit sad.  Chloe was being pushed out and Lois was moving in.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Well, don't worry. It will wear off as soon as you don't want it anymore," Zatanna said.  
  
Oh, is that all?  
  
Chloe stepped forward.  "Fine.  I don't want it."  
  
 _But this has been such a nice day...everything like it was.  No complications..._  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Zatanna smiled.  "You keep telling yourself that."  
  
 _Crap!_  
  


* * *

  
  
Clark forgetting himself wasn't something she expected.  Though it felt right that it fell to her to bring him back.  That was who she was now.  She was support.  Not sidekick.  She wasn't in the trenches anymore.  She was the lodestone.  This day -- chasing stories at the Planet, running around with Clark -- had been her past.  Now she kept people grounded.  It wasn't like before, but what she did _mattered._ Why did it take her so long to see that?  
  
 _Because it was easier then.  All you had to do was follow Clark's lead.  What you do now is HARD.  You have to figure it out on your own as you go.  The life you live now is HARD._  
  
But it is important.  The work she did with Isis, the work she did with Oliver.  It made a difference.  
  
She thought back to her time inside her head breaking down the walls.  It was so clear then.  Even with the danger, she had to know that she mattered.  She had risked her life to KNOW.  
  
She didn't want the past anymore.  She didn't want to be sidekick anymore.  She didn't want to be Lois anymore.  
  
She was encased in light and a whirling sound.  When they faded she was herself again.

* * *

  
  
Zatanna had just closed the portal on the roof.  Clark was helping Chloe to stand when her cell phone began to ring.  Chloe looked at the caller.  
  
"Oliver," Chloe said in surprise.  She was surprised he would be calling.  She didn't know of any jobs in progress.  
  
Zatanna turned to look at them.  "Oliver Queen?"  
  
Hitting answer on the phone, Chloe replied, "Yeah."  
  
On the phone, Oliver sounded like he was far away and shouting toward the speaker of the phone, "Chloe!  That Zatanna lady from your party chained me to a light post, and --"  
  
"Wait!  What, Oliver?"  Chloe looked up at Zatanna.  
  
Looking away, the magician said, "He is free now."  
  
Over the phone, Chloe heard Oliver, "--then she--AHHH!"  A clatter of chains and a loud thump came over the line, followed by Oliver groaning.  
  
Turning away from the magician, Chloe shouted into the phone, "Oliver?  Oliver!  Where are you?"  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe saw a flash of smoke and heard chimes.  
  
Zatanna was gone.  
  


* * *

  
  
Clark sped off to check on the archer.  Chloe got her car and drove to meet them.  
  
Oliver had some bruises from his fall from the light post when the chains holding him had suddenly fallen away, but was otherwise unhurt.  
  
As soon as she arrived, Clark took off to see if he could track down Zatanna, leaving Chloe to care for the archer.  Oliver was sitting on the ground with his hood back and glasses off.  
  
"You ok, Ollie?"  she asked.  
  
Rubbing his head, he replied, "Yeah, though this does bring home something I was thinking about asking you last night."  
  
"What?"  
  
He looked at her.  "We can't keep going out with no backup."  
  
She tilted her head at him, curious and slightly confused.  "Huh?"  
  
Dropping his hand, he suddenly looked more CEO-ish.  "I have a job offer for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly Evil
> 
> Poor Oliver. When last we saw him, Zatanna had left him chained to the lightpost, so I decided to have a bit of fun with how he "got free." When he confronts Zatanna at the end he mentions he was left chained and unmasked, but doesn't say how he got he escaped with identity intact. So this is my fun little explanation. I thought I needed something that would drive home for him the firm conclusion that his band needed a support person to watch their backs. It looked like at the party he was going to ask Chloe something, but then backed down. I wanted to give him the push.


	74. Chapter 74

The next day, as soon as she awoke, Chloe went over to the mirror.  She smiled to see she was still herself.  
  
She had come to some hard realizations, but she was glad to be her.  
  
Clark showing up with coffee and food first thing was a nice surprise.  
  
"I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for reminding me who I really am," he said.  
  
 _That's because that is who **I** really am._  
  
"Yeah, I guess rebooting your superhero O.S. rekindled the Chloe fire."  She chuckled, realizing how foolish she had been to doubt herself.  "Looks like hero support isn't just a day job anymore.  And for that..." She snatched the bag from him and peeked inside.  "We eat bagels. Do you remember everything?"

He followed her to the living area.  "If you're referring to my "just the facts, ma'am" routine..."  He chuckled at his actions from the previous day.  "It did feel as though a weight had been lifted."

Chloe knew exactly how that felt.  She had said something similar to Clark at her wedding.  She had forgotten so much in the wake of Brainiac's mind wipe and subsequent reversal.  The incomplete reversal...  
  
She still didn't understand how Jor-El had missed so much.  Had Brainiac been too strong?  Whenever she tried to bring it up with Clark, he got sketchy.  She suspected he felt guilty it hadn't worked correctly.  It would be like him to assume guilt for something going wrong.  
  
"It must have been hard to harness up again," she said.  
  
"To be honest, a life without responsibility kind of felt empty. I mean, this is who I am, Chloe. Every morning, I wake up with a purpose."  
  
Chloe had to agree.  It was much better knowing.  She had risked so much in the fortress to make sure when -- if -- she got free that she would remember everything.  Well, almost everything.  There were still some walls she hadn't knocked down.  It was frustrating she still hadn't been able to determine where those blank spots were.  But she knew _who_ she was.  She knew that what she did mattered.  It could be hard sometimes to see it, but the frequency and severity of meteor-freak related incidents had gone down.  She liked to think it was because she, and now a few other centers, were helping them.  As for the men complicating her life...she had missed them.  
  
"Yeah, you're not the only one who saw the world through irony-colored glasses."  
  
"Why did you take so long to tell me what was going on?" Clark asked, smiling.  
  
She couldn't meet his gaze.  What he said about Jimmy at the Daily Planet still rang in her head.  "Well, let's face it, Clark. My life has been a little less than desirable lately.  I mean, with Jimmy and everything."  
  
 _'Everything' in large part meaning her confusing feeling for Davis..._  
  
She teased Clark a bit about his reaction to "Lois."  She didn't realize she had left an opening when she told him, "Just because you were burned once doesn't mean that you can't give it a second chance."  
  
He looked at her soulfully.  "Are we still talking about me? Or are we talking about you and Jimmy?"  
  
She knew Clark meant that she should give Jimmy second chance, but she that wasn't what she took away from the experience of the last day.  
  
"Touché. Okay. I'm talking about neither of us living in the past."  Jimmy was the past.  She accepted that now.  "You can never be who you want to be if you're always looking over your shoulder at what could have been."  
  


* * *

  
  
 _What could have been..._  
  
Chloe looked at the job application that Lois had given her for The Daily Planet.  An interview already set up.  
  
When Lex had fired her from The Daily Planet, she had been crushed.  It had changed so much from the place she had dreamed of all her life, but it was still The Daily Planet.  When she had returned from the fake DDS facility, she had lied to herself and said she didn't want to return to reporting.  She had gone to Isis instead, but part of her still longed for the days of following a hot story at The Daily Planet.  
  
Knowing that returning to that life was in her grasp, she felt...nothing.  
  
It wasn't what she wanted anymore.  
  
She wanted _more._  
  
She had been clinging to the past.  
  
What she _thought_ she wanted wasn't what she _actually_ wanted.  
  
She knew now.  Picking up her phone, she called to cancel the Daily Planet interview.  
  
Time to stop living in the past.

* * *

  
  
 _Jimmy,_  
  
For the last few weeks, I've had a lot of time to think.  Even though I haven't heard from you since that night in the hospital, Lois told me what you said to her.  I don't believe there were ever signs that said we should or should not be together, but I believed when we said our "I Do's" that everything would work out.  That you would stop being jealous.  That I would stop trying to hide.  But that didn't didn't happen.  You were right, we still have trust issues.  You didn't trust me that I was doing what was best when I stopped you from hurting Davis.  I didn't trust you to still want me after I revealed my fractured memory.  I am trying to do that now by telling you that I was still impaired when we married.  I thought I was making it right by standing by you, but now I see it wasn't fair to either one of us.  It was cruel for you to say that "Marrying me was the worst mistake you ever made," but in a way you were right.  We both deserve to be with someone that loves and trusts the other.  
  
Jimmy, I still love you, but three years of on and off should have taught us we have unresolved issues.  Again, I thought those two magic words -- I Do -- would fix everything.  I thought that it would make all of our previous splits no longer matter.  I was wrong.  The roots of those break-ups never went away.  That is on both of us too.  We thought we could ignore our problems.  It never worked, they just kept returning.  No matter how many times I told you I wasn't in love with Clark, you never believed me.  I was always afraid of telling you what was going on with me, because I thought you would see me as a freak.  
  
Jimmy, you are so important to me.  I don't want to lose you, but I can't do this anymore.  I want you in my life so much that I married you without really knowing my own mind.  It was wrong, but I was afraid.  I'm afraid now too.  I don't want you to leave my life, but I can't hide anymore.  I hope you know that you have been my best friend, even more than Clark.  You mean so much to me, but I can't let you drive who is part of my life.  Clark is my oldest friend.  He and I have been through more than you can ever imagine.  He is important to me, and while I love him, I am not IN LOVE with him.  At least not anymore, and not for a long time.  Davis is also my friend.  When I lost all my memories, he kept me safe.  He brought me back to you.  I don't know why you fixated on him in your delusion, but he a good man and my friend.  I wasn't picking sides that day in the alley.  I was protecting BOTH of you.  Can't you see that?  
  
I hope you understand.  I don't want to lose you, but I can't keep pretending everything is OK, that everything will work out.  
  
Just because this is the end of our marriage doesn't mean it is the end of our lives together.  
  
Please speak to me.  I miss you and worry about you.  
  
Chloe  
  
  
Reading the email one last time, Chloe hit the send button.  
  
She looked at the rings sparkling on her left hand.  With a sigh of regret, she removed the rings and dropped them in her jewelry box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revisions and Cheers
> 
> I can feel you all cheering at the end of Chimmy.
> 
> For myself, I went through a lot of thought on how Chimmy should end. Canon gave me a few clues, which are faithfully upheld. Much was my own interpretation. Both came together over several revisions. I had some clear goals that I hope were met. I didn't want to make Jimmy the "bad guy," but he is very damaged. I didn't want Chloe to just throw everything away without thought. All outside factors aside, I wanted their collapse to be more about two people getting married too fast and not really knowing each other. Trust was always an issue on both sides for them, and I think was ultimately what destroyed them. I went back and forth on who finally cut the cord, and decided on Chloe, because she seemed so much stronger in herself in "Immortal" while Jimmy went into a tailspin.


	75. Chapter 75

Watchtower.  
  
It was a role she had played once before for Oliver's team.  She hadn't expected to ever use it again, but it felt right.  Even more than the occasional hacking jobs, being Watchtower had real meaning.  
  
"Chloe. This will mean leaving your old life as a reporter behind. You sure you want to say goodbye to that forever?"  
  
She chuckled.  Did Oliver know she had turned down a Daily Planet interview?  
  
 _Probably._  
  
"You know, yesterday I wouldn't have been able to answer that question. But after spending the day at the Daily Planet, I realized... that's someone else's life."  
  
 _That is Lois' life now and she is welcome to it._ She smiled.  _Go get 'em Sidekick 2.0._  
  
"It's interesting. Every one seems to have so much clarity after a dose of the Zatanna dust. It almost makes me wish I had my turn at the magic lamp, too."  
  
"I'll save you the heel blisters. You already know what you really want. We all do. We just don't listen," she told him.  
  
 _And what is it you really want, Chloe?_  
  
Not that old life.  Not The Daily Planet.  
  
Not Jimmy.  
  
"And you're sure this is it?" Oliver asked as he put on the earpiece.  
  
"This is where I belong."  
  
For what felt like the first time since Brainiac zapped her in her apartment all those long months ago, she felt like herself again.  She was no longer plagued by uncertain memories and unreached hopes.  
  
No longer living in the past.  
  
Looking at the screens, Chloe knew it was right.  "Watchtower is officially online. Let's get to work."  
  
She was living for now.

* * *

  
  
It was getting harder for Davis to fight The Beast.  He found that he needed to spend more and more time near Chloe to keep it at bay.  
  
Since he didn't want to look like a stalker, that was proving problematic.  
  
He thought he may have come upon a good solution.  
  
He looked around the basement of the coffee shop that Chloe called home.  He guessed The Talon must not have always been a coffee shop judging by the odd collection of items down here.  Theater-style rows of seats, pieces of sets, a popcorn machine, old posters, a vanity.  
  
A bed.  
  
He could actually work with this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rings
> 
> For you canon fans, it is important to note that at the beginning of Hex and even during her morning conversation with Clark. Chloe is wearing her wedding rings, and often playing with them idly. The rings are gone when she meets with Oliver as Watchtower. When she grabs the box for the earpieces, you can clearly see her bare left hand. So between waking up as herself and that night as Watchtower, the rings disappear. I hope I have made Chloe's mental transition clear in this storyline.


	76. Chapter 76

The mission had been a complete success and Chloe was totally wired.  She felt like celebrating, but Oliver had left saying he had to fly back to Star City for an early morning investors meeting.  
  
She eyed the cabinet where she knew a bottle of very nice champagne sat.  It had been there since Lana managed Isis.  Chloe didn't know why it was there, but she wanted to pop it tonight.  They had stopped a warlord from getting his hands on some very nasty firepower.  Surely that deserved some bubbly?  
  
But celebrating alone is no fun.  
  
She looked at the clock.  11pm.  So it was pretty late.  Who would still be up?  Clark?  Lois?  
  
She discarded both ideas.  Clark had made his feeling clear before when she was only doing the occasional hack for Oliver.  He didn't like her getting involved with Oliver's merry band.  So she just...refrained from telling him.  
  
Lois?  Lois was always up for a celebration, but she would want to know why.  
  
Davis.  
  
She knew she had been trying to divert herself by thinking of Clark and Lois.  She really wanted to celebrate with Davis.  She thought of her earlier words to Clark.  
  
"I'm talking about neither of us living in the past. You can never be who you want to be if you're always looking over your shoulder at what could have been."  
  
Jimmy was her past.  Many times over.  They had a second, third, and even a fourth chance.  Now she wanted to look to the future.  See what might still be.  
  
She wanted to see what could be with Davis.  
  
She marched to the cabinet with the hidden bottle with a determined stride.  
  


* * *

  
  
Hack.  Slash.  Blades covered in blood.  Bodies falling.  
  
Those ogres didn't stand a chance.  
  
Davis was absorbed in combat against the enemy ogre hordes when the buzzer for the front door rang.  He paused the game and looked towards the intercom near the door.  Maybe someone hit his apartment number by accident.  The buzz came again.  
  
Putting the PS3 controller down, he walked over to the intercom panel.  Pressing the button, he inquired, "Hello?"  
  
"Davis, it's Chloe.  I know it's late, are you..."  There was a pregnant pause.  "Busy?"  
  
He grinned widely to himself.  That heavy pause screamed, _Are you alone?  Or do you have a girl up there?_  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe was mentally kicking herself.  She had completely forgotten that Davis might not be alone.  Jessica might be up there.  Davis and Jessica might be up there...doing stuff.  Naked stuff.  
  
After a long moment, his voice crackled back over the intercom.  "Actually I am kind of busy ---"  
  
She interrupted him, pressing the button to cut him off.  "Oh, I'm sorry.  I just thought--"  
  
He hit her with her own move.  Pressing the button on his side to silence her.  "I mean, the Staff of Trensalore needs to be recovered if there is any hope of saving the Seven Kingdoms."  
  
 _What?_ She blinked stupidly at the intercom for a moment.  
  
His voice came over the speaker again.  "Want to help?"  
  
She laughed.  Pressing the button, "I'd love to.  I've even brought something to toast our victory."  
  
"Beer?"  
  
"Champagne."  
  
"Oh, fancy.  Come on up."  
  
The lobby door buzzed and she walked up to Davis' apartment.

* * *

  
  
Standing outside his door, she heard the sounds of the game.  She knocked loudly.  
  
He must have paused the game, because it was instantly silent.  A second later, he stood in the doorway.  He was dressed in a trim-fitting T-shirt and jeans.  His feet were bare.  He gave her that charming half smile.  
  
"Ready to kill some ogres?"  Glancing down, he saw the bottle.  He blinked in surprise.  "Oh, wow, you really did bring champagne."  
  
"Yep."  She moved past him into the apartment.  He closed the door behind her.  She removed and handed him her coat.  As he turned to hang up the coat, she saw him appraising her from the corner of his eyes.  She thought she looked sleek in the black lace jacket over a black tank with close-fitting black skirt.  Maybe even a bit predatory.  
  
Moving towards the kitchen area, she placed down the champagne bottle.  "So what game are you playing?"  
  
He joined her in the kitchen and took wine glasses out of a cabinet.  "Knights of the Old Guard."  He glanced at her as he picked up the bottle and began removing the foil from the top.  "Ever play it?"  
  
She crossed her arms and rested them on the countertop, watching him efficiently prep the bottle.  "Yes actually, but on PC.  I'm a laptop gamer."  Video games were one of the few things that she and Jimmy had done together that never resulted in fight.  There were no secrets, deceptions, or jealousies when they were fighting zombies.  Seeing the PS3 sitting below his massive television, she added.  "I see you prefer console."  
  
"Yeah."  He placed his thumb under the cork and deftly popped it.  Swiping a glass from the counter, he allowed the overflowing liquid to fall into the glass.  He did the same with the second glass.  Handing her one of the glasses, he asked, "So what is the occasion we are celebrating?  I assume it must be something to warrant a late night bubbly visit."  
  
Taking the glass she tried to think of the right phrasing.  "I've had an enlightening few days.  It made me come to some decisions.  I've felt for a while like I could do...more.  More for the world.  More for Metropolis.  Tonight I took the first steps for that."  
  
He looked quizzical.  "With Isis?"  
  
She bit her lip, trying to think of the right way to put it without going into her new role of hero support.  "In part.  But bigger.  It's new, but I think we can do some real good.  We already did tonight and it felt really great.  I thought it deserved..."  She shrugged.  "Celebrating."  
  
He smiled and she could see he really didn't understand, but wasn't going to pry.  
  
 _Letting something rest.  How unusual._  
  
He raised his glass.  "Ok, then, to...doing good."  
  
She smiled and clicked her glass to his.  "To doing good."  
  
They both sipped.  
  
He looked at the glass appreciatively.  "Wow, that is tasty.  I don't normally like champagne, but that is good."  
  
"It was from my friend Lana.  She is the one that started Isis, but she had to...leave."  
  
He looked at her again, waiting to see if she had more to say, but when she didn't, he let it drop.  
  
Taking another sip, he moved around her and towards the living room.  "Speaking of doing good, ready to slay some ogres?"  
  
She smiled and followed.  
  
He took a few moments to unspool a controller for her and reconfigure the game for a second user.  He was playing a warrior type, so she decided to play a mage.  
  
They played through several levels, working cooperatively.  When they reached the level inside the stronghold where the Staff of Trenzalore lay, they were swarmed under by goblins and ogres.  They mostly gravitated towards Davis' character as he was the fighter.  
  
"Chloe, shield me so I can fight these guys off and get to the staff."  
  
"The staff is exposed now though!"  
  
"But if we try to get it, they will keep swarming me and kill my character.  Then I'll lose all my inventory items."  
  
Chloe cut her eyes over to Davis.  He was biting the side of his lip as he smashed the controller buttons, fending off the goblins.  
  
Beyond the fight was the staff.  They would need the staff in subsequent levels to fight for the Seven Kingdoms.  
  
Davis looked over at her, still smashing buttons.  She gave him an evil grin and cast invisibility.  On her own character.  
  
All the goblins that had been circling her were left without a target.  They moved to Davis.  
  
"CHLOE!!"  
  
Chloe walked her invisible character around the fight and surmounted the dais that held the staff as Davis' character died.  
  
He gaped at her as her character claimed the Staff.  
  
She smiled widely as the game went to a grand cut-scene of her character holding the glowing staff aloft.  
  
Davis stared at her.  "You used me as bait to claim the staff."  
  
She smiled without a trace of apology.  The cut scene ended and smiling evilly at Davis, moved her character to the corpse of his and looted the body.  
  
He scowled at her.  "You better be planning to hand over those inventory items to my reborn character."  
  
"Nope."  She started scrolling through "her" new items.  "Oh nice, a Mace of Might."  
  
"Only usable by a warrior."  
  
"Yeah, but I can sell it and maybe get a pair of Featherweight Boots."  
  
"That's it!"  
  
He reached across her and plucked the controller from her hand.  
  
"Hey!" she protested.  
  
Davis began scrolling through the controls of her character.  "Ok, menu.  Items.  Give items.  Give to...Yes."  Chloe tried to snatch the controller back.  He highlighted the Staff of Trenzalore.  Shooting her an evil glance, he arrowed it to his character.  
  
"NO!!!"  Chloe lept onto him, trying to grapple the controller away.  Even stretched out over him as she was, his arms were much longer than hers, and he didn't have a problem keeping the controller out of her grasp.  
  
"Done!  The Staff of Trenzalore has been given to the rightful party!"  He smiled widely at her.  Chloe made a face at him.  
  
Suddenly, something changed in the air between them.  The atmosphere became electric.  
  
Their faces were only inches from each other, with her body sprawled across his.  Chloe watched his eyes turn from laughing to molten.  She had begun to realize that was Davis' tell when he was feeling...lustful.  Another sign was prodding into her thigh where it was stretched across his lap.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis didn't move, just looked at her unblinking.  Letting her absorb the implications of his hot eyes and physical presence.  He expected her to pull away in embarrassment.  She always pulled away.  He mentally began cataloging the sensations of Chloe sprawled across him.  
  
Touch...her body was a warm weight across him.  Her legs were firm over his hips and thighs, but her breasts were soft against his chest.  
  
Smell...he caught the citrusy smell of her shampoo from the hair hanging around her face.  
  
Hearing...her breath was coming in little pants.  From the tussle?  From excitement?  
  
Sight...her hair was mussed from their tussle.  Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright and warm under half-lidded eyes.  
  
Then...Taste...as she kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Best game ever
> 
> I couldn't think of a videogame that showed the exact mechanics I wanted for this story, so I made one up using bits from lots of other nerd-doms.
> 
> And this chapter rocks, so it some love.


	77. Interlude 6 Part 1

She kissed him.  
  
The video game controller clattered to the ground as Davis completely forgot about the game that had started the tussle.  
  
His hands had better things to do.  
  
Bringing his arms down from where they had been outstretched over his head, he moved them so he could spear his fingers into her soft tousled hair.  
  
Chloe's lips were soft and warm against his, but he felt an underlying hunger.  Holding her head, he slanted his mouth against hers into a more aggressive kiss.  He swiped his tongue out over her lips and tasted champagne.  She moaned and opened her lips, shifting her body against him.  _Rubbing_ against him.  His body reacted.  Chloe shifted again, hooking her thigh over his hip.  Her skirt was snug and he felt the material bunching up to her waist with the maneuver.  He caught a glimpse of bare thigh.  He groaned into her mouth.  One hand released her soft hair in favor of placing his hand over that bare skin, pressing her hips into his.  He needed her to know just how much her wanted her.  
  
He plunged his tongue into her mouth, an involuntary growl rising in his throat.  
  
*******************************  
  
Electricity.  Fire and electricity.  It raced along all Chloe's nerve endings, flaring and pulsing.  
  
Davis' mouth was hot and tasted of champagne.  His darting tongue pierced her with wet fire.  His hand on her bare thigh branded her skin and sent sparks into her core.  
  
His hardness pressing into her hips, caused an answering heat and wetness in hers.  She began moving her hips against that hard bulge causing pulses of electricity to flare outward.  
  
She wanted to feel more of him.  One of his hands remained tangled in her hair.  A soft contrast to the burning hand on her thigh.  It wasn't enough.  She needed more contact.  
  
Her clothes, his clothes.  
  
They blocked the electric currents, but to remove them she would have to break the kiss.  
  
Almost as if he read her thoughts, she felt Davis' hands release and move between them.  She whimpered when the one left her leg, but was silenced when he moved to the buttons of her blouse.  One by one the little buttons popped to his pale, long-fingered hands.  
  
She always thought he had beautiful hands.  Strong, but delicate looking.  Hands that saved lives.  She had wondered if they would be calloused like those of so many people back in Smallville.  They tickled the bare skin of her shoulder as he pushed the sheer blouse off, but they felt warm and smooth.  
  
Moving off to the side slightly, but still not breaking the kiss, she helped him untangle her arms from the black patterned blouse.  She still had on the black tank underneath.  
  
Davis eagerly explored the exposed new territory of her shoulders with his long hands.  Chloe shivered in response.  When his hands spread across her collarbones and then down over her still-covered breasts, she found herself unconsciously pushing them into his hands.  
  
She remembered thinking before that he would have hands perfectly sized to hold them.  She was right.  He weighed her breasts carefully in his hands, then started massaging.  Even through the layers of her shirt and bra, she felt the warmth of his touch.  
  
She needed more of it.  
  
 _Too many damn clothes._  
  
Breaking the kiss, she pulled her legs up, moving until she was kneeling astride him.  She would have much better leverage here for the removal of clothes.  She froze when she looked down at Davis.  He was breathing hard, his eyes flickering flames as they looked up at her.  A heated shiver ran down her spine at his look.  
  
No one had EVER looked at her like that.  Not Jimmy.  Certainly not Clark.  Not even the few other boys over the years that showed her a brief moment of attention.  
  
Jimmy had looked at her with eagerness when they were physical, but it was nothing like _THIS_.  
  
Davis' fiery eyes looked at her like he would burn them alive and they would scream from the pleasure of it.  
  
Chloe stopped breathing and stared enraptured.  
  
Davis wasn't so frozen.  His hands moved to her waist and underneath the edges of the tank.  As he slowly slid his hands up her sides, they left tingling trails on her skin.  He leaned up slightly into a crunch position so he could keep reaching up, pushing her shirt as his hands traveled.  Chloe was distractedly impressed.  He must have incredible core strength to hold the awkward position.  
  
But then again, she had seen his abs and knew them to be very impressive.  
  
Her shirt was now bunching up around her breasts.  She gripped the edge away from Davis and pulled it the rest of the way over her head.  Davis gazed in heated wonder at her breasts, now covered only by a black lace bra.  
  
Thinking about his abs kindled a desire in her to see his beautiful bare torso again.  Especially now that she could _touch_.  
  
She smiled slightly down at him and began using his own move against him, catching the edge of his shirt bottom on her hands and sliding upward.  
  
 _Oh God.  The feel of him._  
  
His skin was smooth and absolutely perfect.  Combined with the pale whiteness, it could almost be marble.  The muscles underneath her hands were hard enough to be stone.  
  
But marble would never be this warm.  
  
He leaned up again in  crunch position and pulled his own shirt off over his head.  
  
She didn't try to hold back when he was bare before her.  She traced his pecs, then the lines of his stomach muscles.  
  
It amazed her that such a beautiful man was half-naked under her.  A beautiful half-naked man with the evidence of his desire insistently pressing against her.  Her skirt had gotten even more crumpled up when she straddled him.  It only barely covered her hips now from his eyes.  Underneath though, the only things between them were her matching lace panties, his jeans, and his underwear.  
  
Is he a boxers man?  Briefs?  Boxer-briefs?  
  
 _Just be anything but Christmas M &M's..._  
  
She looked up to his eyes again, wondering if she could figure it out without looking.  
  
His eyes were tracing the line of her bra with undisguised desire, but flicked up to meet hers when he sensed her looking.  
  
Chloe felt suddenly playful.  She wanted to see if she could figure out his underwear choice while at the same time trying to see if she could make those fires in his eyes flare even brighter.  
  
Experimentally, she snapped her hips where they were pressed against his, hoping to see if she could feel his underwear line.  When she moved over the hard bulge she felt there, she forgot to think about boxers versus briefs.  She blinked.  It was a _very_ impressive bulge.  
  
Davis gasped, and tilted his head back, closing his eyes.  His whole body shivered.  Chloe watched the play of his bare muscles in fascination.  
  
She realized she had been distracted from her little game, so she snapped her hips again, but this time his hands moved to settle on her waist.  Using his hands to direct her, he began to guide her movements.  He moved her hips  with less of a snap and more of a glide.  Blinking in surprise as he did so, Chloe forgot all about her little mental game again.  She began to see why he was adjusting her movements.  With her skirt all bunched up, the gliding rubbed her barely covered clit along the hard ridge of him, sending ripples of pleasure with each movement.  Davis adjusted his hands again, moving them to rest against the bare skin of her waist just above her bunched skirt.  He tilted his hands back, so she moved to meet their angle, slightly reclining.  Gliding forward again, she felt the reason.  It exposed her more.  He hit the sensitive nub with both her movement forward and back.  She also knew that with each forward movement, if it weren't for their clothes, we would be burying himself into her.  
  
Pressure began to build inside of her as she let Davis guide her hip movements.  At the top of each forward, he pressed his hips up like we was going to enter her.  Chloe was lost to the sensations.  The heat of his hands on her skin.  The fiery pulses from her center.  The pressure.  _Oh God, the pressure._ It was pushing at her, in her.  The pressure was all there was of her.  Until it...released.  
  
Chloe screamed as she exploded, grinding helplessly into Davis as he kept pushing, pushing.  Finally she collapsed forward onto his bare chest, gulping air.  She felt Davis shift his hands away from her waist. One moving to settle over her bare back.  The other to cup her head where it lay against his chest.  
  
It took her several long moments to realize she had just had what may be the best orgasm of her life...dry humping.  Her cheeks flamed.  
  
She had never thought about anything like...THAT.  
  
She was just about to speak, when Davis beat her to it.  
  
"My God, Chloe.  That was ridiculously hot."  
  
Knitting her brows, she looked up at him.  He looked perfectly sincere and more than a little awed.  
  
Still feeling embarrassed, she hid her face in his chest.  She couldn't help it, her hands idly began kneading the pale warm skin.  
  
"Chloe?  Are you ok?"  
  
She nodded into his chest.  
  
"Hey, look at me."  She slowly lifted her face to look at him.  His eyes looked like carefully banked fires now, but also flickered with some deeper emotion.  Taking the hand from her head, he used it to tilt her chin up.  He leaned forward to kiss her.  
  
As soon as his lips found hers, her shame melted away.  Her eyes slid shut.  This kiss was heavy and drugging, like the kiss in The Talon apartment on her birthday.  It claimed and branded, starting the fire in the pit of her stomach again.  It had never really gone out for her either.  It just waited.  Without conscious thought, her hips began to move again.  His hands snapped down to her waist, stilling her movement.  Her eyes popped open in surprise.  Breaking the kiss, he said, "I don't know if I can handle that again.  Let's try this instead."  Removing his hands from her waist, he leveraged back on his elbows until he could sit up.  She was still astride his lap with her legs bent under her.  Supporting her on his lap, he shifted until he was sitting upright on the couch with his back against the backrest.  She was now looking eye level with him, with her legs on either side of his.  
  
Smiling and taking her face in his hands, he pulled her into a kiss again.  
  
Chloe decided she liked the new position when she realized that she now had better access to allow her hands to roam more of his body.  She placed her hands over his chest and curled her fingers into the sleek muscle.  His skin was smooth and surprisingly silky.  She was temporarily distracted from his bare skin when Davis began kissing along her shoulder and up along her neck.  When he found a place near her ear that made her shiver, he began laving it with his tongue.  Pleasurable shivers raced down her spine.  Her hands began kneading into the hard muscle of his chest with each shiver.  His hand was rubbing along her back, tracing each shiver, and the other was stroking along her side.  His thumb making small, almost-ticklish-but-not-quite movements up her side.  Then around to her stomach, and up, until he was tracing circles right below her bra.  Her breasts tingled with the wanting of his hand on them.  
  
"Touch me, Davis," she groaned into his ear as he kept licking fire along her neck and ear.  
  
He pulled away and met her eyes again.  His own were heavy lidded and filled with that unholy fire again.  She stared back, entranced by the dancing flames.  
  
Holding her eyes, he moved his hands around and settled them over her bra-covered breasts reverently.  Then he very deliberately dropped his eyes to her breasts as he used his thumbs to slowly push down the upper edge of the lacy cups until her nipples appeared.  He tucked the edge of the bra under her breasts, causing the flesh to plump up.  With slow and deliberate motions, he used the ball of each thumb to make slow circles around each nipple.  They hardened into increasingly sensitive nubs.  
  
Chloe found her breathing quickening.  She couldn't look away from the sight of Davis and his hands on her breasts.  Pulses of heat shot from her breasts into the hot, wet, secret place.  
  
She thought it was achingly perfect, until he lifted his eyes to meet hers again before slowly leaning forward and taking one tight nipple into his mouth.  Without conscious thought, Chloe released a cry of unadulterated pleasure and threw her head back.  She was a massive, tingling ball of sensation with Davis' tongue and lips and gentle teeth on her breast as the epicenter.  She grasped his head with both hands and pressed her chest forward into his mouth, wanting more, More, _MORE_.  
  
When he broke away, a cry of distress was on her lips, but then he switched to the other breast.  The distress turned to encouragement by the time it left her mouth.  His hand moved to covered the abandoned breast so it wouldn't get chilled.  
  
Her hips began to move again as she pressed forward into his mouth.  
  
She felt that telltale pressure begin to build, but she fought it even as her hips moved against him of their own accord.  She didn't want to come like that again.  She wanted him.  She wanted all of him this time.  
  
Her words came out as breathy pants.  "Davis...I..."  She gulped and tried again.  Damn it, why wouldn't her hips stay still?  She was getting too close to that edge again.  "Davis...I want..."  
  
With a wet noise he released her breast.  Chloe fought the bereft feeling, but clung to the edge of sanity as some of the pressure leveled off.  He looked at her with heavy, molten eyes.  His hands were still on her breasts as he said huskily.  "What do you want, Chloe?"  
  
He flicked his tongue against her nipples and she shivered again.  Oh God, so close...  Her breath rattled out.  "You..."  
  
One of Davis hands moved quickly to catch her around the nape of her neck.  Chloe jolted into awareness sharply.  Her eyes snapped wide open to meet his.  His voice was deep and thick.  "That was all I needed to hear."  
  
He pulled her head down to him and kissed her with ferocious hunger.  The kiss told her without words that he was teetering on the same edge as her.  His hands moved around and grasped her under her backside, supporting her as he stood up from the couch.  Chloe wrapped her legs around his torso and he carried her, their lips still tightly fastened.  Her useless skirt was bunched around her waist and her nipples tickling against his chest with each of his steps.


	78. Interlude 6 Part 2

Chloe pressed into Davis as he carried her towards the bedroom.  Breaking the passionate kiss, she took a moment to marvel at the impressive display.  She greedily ran her eyes and then her hands down over his arms.  Holding her as he was caused the muscles in his arms to bulge into dramatic definition.  She explored the contours with her fingers.  He was easily supporting her weight on his hips, with his hands stabilizing her with their grip on her backside.  
  
He carried her deeper into the apartment towards...his bedroom.  
  
It was real.  This was happening.  A bolt of panic shot through her, fighting against her excitement.  She had so little experience.  What if she was no good at sex?  She had only ever been with one man -- Jimmy -- and their sex life was nothing to bring down the house.  That wasn't what had drawn her to Jimmy.  The illusion of a normal life had been her foundation with Jimmy.  A fragile foundation, as it turned out.  
  
That wasn't enough with Davis.  The raw need coursing through her veins and reflected in his eyes told her they would never have the tame compatibility she had felt with Jimmy.  She remembered that day at the cafe when she and Davis had marveled how easy they were around each other.  It was true, in large part because she felt more... _herself_ with him.  She felt like he could accept the side of her that wanted passion.  
  
But wanting passion, and actually being good at it, were two different things.  Her limited experience involved little of either.  
  
She guessed that Davis would be considerably more experienced, going by her accidental discovery of him with Jessica.  
  
 _Crap!_  
  
Her hands suddenly clenched into his arms in alarm as she remembered.  Until this moment she had completely forgotten about the other woman.  
  
Davis sensed her change in mood and froze.  He looked down at her, concern fighting with lust in his molten eyes.  "What's wrong?"  
  
Chloe swallowed hard.  She would have loved to forget again, but she couldn't just pretend the other woman didn't exist.  _Damn it, Brainiac!  Why fail me now??_  
  
She sighed heavily and tried to ignore the tingle the motion sent through her bare breasts as they brushed against Davis' solid chest. She hadn't cheated on Jimmy, as much as she wanted to.  She wouldn't be a party to Davis cheating either.  
  
"Should we be doing this?"  
  
As he looked down at her in the dim hall, she could see his eyes glitter.  "What?" he asked in a carefully controlled voice.  His face had gone tight and hard, like he was fighting with himself.  
  
"I mean, what about Jessica?"  
  
His face instantly softened.  "Oh, Chloe."  He shook his head bemusedly.  "Don't you understand?"  He looked at her, his smile flashed white in the dimness.  "I've only ever been waiting for you."  
  
Chloe let some irritation show and moved as if to unwrap her legs from his waist.  Davis' hands shifted to clench her thighs in place around him, not allowing her to break away.  Chloe hated that her voice sounded jealous when she accused, "What about that time I came by and Jessica was prancing around the living room in _your_ shirt?  And then in your shower--naked!"  She realized after the words left her that showers were generally taken naked.  She had already tipped her hand, so she plowed ahead.  "That is how you wait?"  
  
His smile was under control, but his reply was unapologetic.  "Yes."  
  
Chloe blinked in surprise.  She hadn't expected that.  She opened her mouth to reply, though she had no idea what to say.  Davis beat her to it.  "I couldn't have you, so whoever else I was with then didn't matter."  He paused, thinking for a moment. "Even before we met, I think I was waiting for you.  All the others were just ways to pass the time."  His eyes were intense on her own as the fires flared again.  "Until now."  
  
Chloe blinked in surprise.  He had laid it all out for her, unapologeticly, but his words rang with sincerity.  She had feared bringing up the other woman would end the night, but she couldn't ignore the elephant once she remembered it.  But this...how could she fight this?  
  
Especially when she didn't want to fight...  
  
Chloe knew it was unfair that she didn't like him being with another woman--most likely women--but logically knew she couldn't really blame him.  She had been the one to walk away from him each time.  Hell, she had even married someone else.  Could she really blame him for taking what was available elsewhere?  
  
Davis just stood holding her in the dim hallway outside the bedroom.  He seemed to be waiting for some signal from her.  Go back to the living room?  Or forward to the bedroom?  
  
She gave an involuntary gulp.  This was it.  The big step.  She had to decide now.  
  
Past or Future.  
  
Jimmy or Davis.  
  
Then her own words to Oliver from earlier that night came back to her.  
  
 _"You already know what you really want. We all do. We just don't listen."_  
  
She looked into his burning eyes.  Passionate eyes.  Tortured eyes.  Hopeful eyes.  
  
She knew what she wanted.  
  
"Don't stop."  
  
She saw the flash of Davis smile again as he carried her into the darkened bedroom.


	79. Interlude 6 Part 3

Davis carried her the rest of the way down the hall and into his bedroom.  He reached out and hit a light switch next to the door.  A softly glowing bedside lamp came on, illuminating a very clean, very masculine bedroom.  Chloe blinked in surprise.  
  
He turned _ON_ a light when they were going to have sex?  She was used to fumbling in the dark.  She opened her mouth to speak when she caught the look in his eyes.  He was looking over her heatedly in the soft light.  He seemed to read her mind as his husky voice rumbled, "I want to see you."  
  
His hands shifted from her thighs.  Chloe read his meaning, and unwrapped her legs until she stood before him.  Her skirt was a hopeless mess crumpled around her middle.  His hands moved to the waistband of the skirt until he found the zipper on the side.  He looked at her briefly for permission before he began pulling the zipper down.  When the zipper was down, he moved his hands to her sides and slowly pushed downward, moving the skirt down over her hips until it plopped to the floor around her feet.  Chloe kicked it away.  Davis' eyes ran over her as she stood before him in her lace panties and bra with the cups still turned under, pushing her breasts up and out.  She was surprised at herself for not feeling self conscious, but the way Davis was looking at her left no room in her mind for doubt.  His words confirmed it.  
  
"So God-damned beautiful."  
  
Her skin flushed under his gaze.  Her own eyes roamed over his naked torso.  In the lamplight, his pale skin looked gilded.  She reached out to touch his chest again.  She couldn't keep her hands off that wonderfully smooth sculpted muscle of his.  He wasn't bulky like Clark, but his body had its own power.  She wanted to see more.  She wanted to run her hands over every inch of him and see if it was all the same sleekly defined muscle.  
  
She stepped close to him.  Standing like this before him, the large bulge in his jeans pressed into her belly button.  The bulge prevented her breasts from reaching his chest.  They ached with desire for contact with him.  He read her thoughts again and his hands moved to her hot, hard nipples as her own hands reached for his belt.  He gasped as her hand brushed over the hardness of him through the thick fabric of his jeans.  She gasped in turn at his fingers plucking and teased her nipples.  Her hands were unusually clumsy as she tried to undo the belt buckle.  She kept getting distracted by electric shocks from her breasts and core where her body met his.  Finally she got it open and moved to the button.  Davis shifted his hands away from her nipples and up to her shoulders.  She looked up at him in question at the change.  He smiled his charming half-smile as he started pushing down the straps of her bra.  
  
Oh.  Yeah.  That.  
  
Her hands left his fly with the now-open button to move behind her back and open the bra.  She then let it slide down her arms to the floor.  Her suddenly free breasts flushed as they were released from the constriction of the bra.  
  
She heard Davis' soft reverent voice.  "God..."  
  
Her panties were almost embarrassingly wet, but another wave of moisture flowed from her overheated core at his soft word.  
  
It brought on a sudden wave of urgency for her and her hands flew back to his fly.  Davis obliged her by standing perfectly still as she slowly lowered the zipper of his jeans.  When the zipper was down, she gripped the waist and began pushing his jeans down over his hips like her had done for her skirt.  
  
 _Black boxer briefs_ , she thought as she answered her earlier curiosity.  
  
She had expected the bulge of him to appear diminished when the thick concealing fabric of his jeans was gone.  She was wrong.  He was even more prominent with only the cotton of his boxer briefs.  She could see the outline of his manhood through the fabric.  She reached out a tentative finger and traced the shape.  Davis made a choking sort of noise, causing her to look up at him.  He was watching her touch him with a hungry look.  Feeling suddenly shy, she pulled away her hand.  
  
"No, don't.  Please don't stop," he said in a raspy, thick voice.  
  
Smiling shyly, she reached out and traced the outline of him through the underwear again.  
  
Davis reached out his hands and rested his fingertips on her hips along the thin line of her panties.  His thumbs began sliding forward and down, following the panty edge.  Chloe was having a hard time thinking.  She was torn between wanting to concentrate on what Davis was planning with his hands, but she also very much wanted to explore that covered prominence.  
  
When his finger slid under the panty edge and found the aching, hot, wet core of her she cried out.  She shifted her grip to his thighs, so she wouldn't hurt him with her spasmodically grasping hands.  
  
Her breaths started to come out in little pants as Davis moved his finger into that desperate place.  
  
"So wet."  
  
The finger left her, but she could tell this time he wasn't done.  He hooked his fingers around the sides of her panties and pulled downward, dropping to his knees before her as the panties moved down.  
  
Her breath was coming fast as Chloe looked down at him.  She wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do next, but her excitement pounded in her.  Whatever he was planning, she desperately wanted it.  
  
He looked up at her before pushing her back gently until she hit the edge of the bed.  She made as if to climb onto it, but Davis gripped her hips indicating he just wanted her to lean back against its stability.  She did so, unsure what he was planning next, but desperately curious and turned on.  
  
Holding her eyes, her leaned forward and spread her legs slightly.  He leaned in towards her slowly...  
  
Chloe's mind went dumb as it repeated _Oh God, Oh God, Oh God..._ Her body was already speeding towards release and he wasn't even on her yet.  
  
Davis' tongue delved into her wet cleft in a single deep stroke, giving a pointed flick at the top over her clit.  
  
Chloe cried out as she broke apart.  The oncoming orgasm built even as it broke with each dive and stroke of his tongue and then his fingers.  They came upon her in waves, cresting and breaking one after the other.  She collapsed back against the bed, giving herself over to the insanity of it as Davis lavished her with his tongue and fingers.  
  
She had no idea how long Davis kept her building and breaking with the orgasmic waves, but when he finally pulled away, she collapsed bonelessly onto the floor in front of him.  Her body still quivering.  
  
She knew about multiple orgasms, of course.  She had even experienced them with the help of a battery-powered friend, but nothing like these endless waves on top of each other.  
  
Davis chuckled at her shell-shocked state, but she was still riding the waves and didn't care.  
  
When the last of the shocks receded, Davis moved around her and gently helped her to her feet again.  
  
Finally returning to her senses, Chloe gazed up at him standing before her.  It was now him with his back to the bed.  This put the lamplight behind him, gilding the outline of his frame, but casting much of him into shadow.  She reached out and traced the edge where it limned him on his shoulder.  She traced the line down his arm and then across.  
  
Taking the cue from her, Davis reached towards her and rand a hand over her curves.  The soft touch sent another shivery pulse through her.  She breathed out his name.  "Davis..."  
  
When her hand slid down to his hip, she hit fabric.  
  
He was still wearing the boxer briefs.  
  
That struck Chloe as unfair.  She was standing here naked as the day she was born, and he was still in clothes.  
  
She began tugging them down with urgency.  She wanted to see.  She wanted to see _all_ of him.  
  
She wanted to _feel_ all of him.  
  
He took her head in his hands with sudden urgency.  Chloe froze and her eyes flashed up to meet his.  He looked deep and questioningly in her eyes.  "Chloe, tell me now if you don't want to go any farther with this.  I don't know if I'll be able to stop later."  
  
She smiled beautifully up at him.  Oh yes, she wanted this.  
  
In reply, she slowly began easing down the edge of the boxer briefs down.  Davis released her head and his hands fell to his sides, giving himself over to her mercy.  Chloe slowly sank before him as she slowly stripped him.  
  
 _My goodness_ , Chloe thought.  
  
It really wasn't reasonable for a man to be that damn beautiful.  She sent a silent _thank you_ to Davis for turning on the light.  
  
She had guessed he would be bigger than Jimmy based on what she had felt, but it was more than that.  It was almost like Davis was a whole other species.  He had smoothly tapering hips with intriguingly defined muscles coming to a V.  His manhood was large, long-shafted, with a perfectly shaped head.  It was like an idealized sculpture of the perfect penis.  She didn't even realize she spoke out loud until her own voice reached her ears, "Wow..."  
  
Davis tilted his head back with a pained expression.  "Chloe..."  
  
Chloe blinked again to bring herself back in focus.  Yes, he was perfect.  And he was hers tonight.  She reached out a single fingertip and stroked from the head to the base.  It twitched and jumped in response.  It was silky feeling over a steel core.  It was smooth and warm as the rest of Davis.  Jimmy was often sweaty.  She traced her finger back up again, and he twitched again.  He was extremely sensitive.  She outlined the shape of the head with its little divot and down the large vein to the base.  
  
Chloe wondered at her own exploratory need.  She had never felt this desire to inspect and explore every part of Jimmy.  Now she wanted to explore every hidden detail of this man.  Was his skin so smooth everywhere?  Was his ass really as firm as it looked in clothes?  How would he react if she put her tongue... there.  
  
She leaned forward and flicked her tongue into the little divot in the head.  
  
Davis started to groan again, but it was cut off by a sharp intake of breath when Chloe wrapped her hand firmly around the shaft.  It seemed to pulse with heat and need in her grip.  A small bead of moisture appeared at the end.  Chloe leaned forward again and licked it away.  Then she brushed her lips over the head, feeling the velvet-over-steel feel of him.  She slid he tongue out again and caressed the outline of the head with a soft tongue.  Shifting her hand, she slid her tongue down the shaft over the prominent vein.  She slid her lips up along the side to see if the velvet skin of the head was reflected in the shaft too.  Reaching the head again, she made as if to kiss it, but instead let her lips slip open.  She slowly took it into her warm mouth, sliding her tongue along it inside.  
  
Davis groaned loudly and tangled his hands into her hair.  He didn't press or push on her, it was more like he just needed something to hold on to.  That was a good sign.  
  
Chloe pulled back slightly until just the very tip was still between her lips, before sliding forward again, this time taking in much more of him.  He was larger than she could take, so she wrapped one hand around the end of him and slid her hand and and her mouth together up and down on him.  With each movement, she swiped her tongue up and around him inside her mouth.  
  
She closed her eyes and lost herself to the rhythm of it, focusing on the feel of him under her hand, lips, tongue...  
  
"Chloe, I'm gonna..."  
  
She pushed down onto him again and dragged hard, wordlessly indicating she was ready.  She watched his face.  She wanted to see the moment he let go.  
  
Davis' grip on her hair suddenly tightened, as he shouted. Chloe felt the hot salt explosion fill her mouth.  She swallowed it down, licking away all traces of it from him.  She released Davis, as he stumbled backward.  He put a hand out as his weak knees found the edge of the bed and collapsed. Davis sat splay-legged on the edge of the bed, his face a combination of bliss and wonder.  
  
Chloe felt extremely powerful as she rose from her kneeling position on the floor.  _She_ had done that.  She had literally made a man weak in the knees. _Her._  
  
When she was on her feet, Davis pulled her to stand in front of him.  With him seated on the edge of the bed they were nearly the same height.  He slid his hands into her hair and captured her gaze.  He still looked bemused.  "Wow.  That was...just wow."  She smiled.  _This was fun._  
  
Pulling slightly on her hair, Davis pulled her in for another a kiss.  It started slow, but quickly began to increase in intensity.  Chloe pulled back in surprise when she felt a hardness on her thigh.  She looked down just to be sure.  
  
He was ready again.  She blinked and looked up at Davis again in wonder.  _He was ready again?!_  
  
Well, then, she planned to take advantage.  She stepped forward into his embrace again.  She felt his hardness sliding through the curls of her womanhood.  
  
"Condom?"  she heard him ask.  
  
"I'm on birth control."  
  
She stepped closer, trying to fit herself to him.  Her breathing grew ragged.  So close...  
  
Davis must have read her mind.  He reached behind her and grasped her thighs, pulling them up over his hips, aligning their bodies.  Then he surprised her by flipping them around and onto the bed.  Then with a single swift push, he was inside her.  
  
Chloe gasped.  This had always been her favorite part.  Something primal and female in her celebrated every time.  Even when the rest of her sex with Jimmy was so-so, she had this part.  This feeling of her body taking in his.  That was the same, but for the rest...well, he was certainly NOT Jimmy.  
  
She was so incredibly wet and ready that Davis filled her with that first thrust.  Her body was tight around him and so _full._ It was incredible.  A shiver ran through her.  
  
"You ok?" she heard Davis ask.  
  
"God, _yes_."  
  
Then he began to move and all words, all thought, left her head.  He filled her so completely, that with each drag and thrust, he scraped along all her inner walls.  She wrapped her legs and locked her ankles behind his back.  She began moving her hips to meet his thrusts, taking in the hot fullness as deep as she could. The spot on the front wall that was always untouched by Jimmy, pulsed against Davis.  She heard strange, high-pitched cries and it took her several long moments to realize they were coming from her.  She wouldn't have thought it possible, but her body started clenching tighter and tighter around Davis.  She heard incomprehensible babbling coming from her mouth, but didn't pay it any attention.  She was focused on the tense, hot, roiling, pulsing, ball of need inside.  It wound tighter and harder, tighter and harder.  Then suddenly it exploded.  
  
She heard herself screaming and her body spasmed.  Her hands clawed at his back in her release.  It felt like the entire Fourth of July as burst after burst of pleasure exploded in her.  
  
Joining her own screams, she heard Davis' shout fill the room.  She felt his pulsing inside her as he came.


	80. Interlude 7

Consciousness came slowly to Davis.  He had been having the most wonderful dream.  He didn't want to wake up.  He wanted to stay in the world where Chloe was a warm weight in his arms and his nose was full of the citrus scent of her.  Slowly his senses returned and he realized...It wasn't a dream.  
  
Chloe had come to him last night.  
  
She WAS a warm weight in his arms.  
  
She was still sleeping deeply.  She looked so small and fragile with her hands curled up under her chin.  A slight smile curved her sleeping lips.  He wondered if she too was dreaming about last night.  He hoped so.  He still felt her touch like a tattoo.  Her body against his under the covers was a burning brand.  He found that he wanted her to feel the same fire he did.  He feared that the morning light would break whatever spell had brought her to him last night.  That the new day would change her mind.  That she would wake and see the night before as a terrible mistake.  
  
He wanted to brand her as his again in the morning light.  
  
One arm was trapped beneath her, but the other was free to work.  He pushed the covers off, exposing their skin to the morning air.  The sudden coolness caused her to push back unconsciously against his warmth.  The sight of her warm pink skin against his own paleness caused an immediate reaction from his body.  He was full and ready in seconds, pressing into the warm firmness of her backside.  A slight frown marred her sleeping face and she shifted against him.  He gasped.  He moved his free hand to her exposed thigh and firmly, but lightly ran his palm up and over her hip.  He gently pressed the hip back into him and the frown disappeared from her face.  Even sleeping, instinct took over and she began moving against him.  He moved his hand up along her side, almost tickling, but not quite.  She shivered, but he didn't think it was from the cool air anymore.  Her hands uncoiled from beneath her chin and she stretched back against him.  The change in position was exactly what Davis was hoping for.  His hand began sliding up again and found and cupped one breast.  She arched back like a bow, pressing into his hand with her chest and into his hardness with her hips.  A sigh escaped her lips as he began to circle the nipple.  Her head fell back and he moved his lips to begin kissing and licking her neck.  When his lips traveled up to her ear, she began whimpering and shifting her legs against his.  When he plucked at her hardened nipple and gently bit her earlobe at the same time, he felt her legs open.  Removing his hand from her breast, she whimpered at the loss.  The sound was cut off when it moved to her thigh.  He lifted her opened leg and hooked it back across his, exposing her.  
  
"Davis..."  His name escaped her lips on a sigh.  He sensed that she was still in that in-between state of awake and asleep.  He expected she thought this was just a very intense dream.  His fingers were coated in moisture as they dipped into her, and he found he liked the idea of her dreaming of him.   He moved the his wet fingers to find the bud at the top of her slit.  As he became to circle her clit with alternating pressure, she pressed back into him.  His cock throbbed to sink into the wetness shifting against him.  Davis shifted his hips slightly, so the next time she pressed back she slid slightly onto his engorged cock.  Feeling him just starting to enter her, she finally awoke completely.  Davis watched her face as he slid fully into her.  Her expression was beautiful.  Surprise.  Lust.  Pleasure.  Just a hint of confusion.  As he pulled back and sank in again, the confusion was gone and she was all pleasure.  Still teasing her clit, Davis moved in and out as Chloe pressed back against him.  He felt her body begin clenching as her breathing quickened.  She was going to come any moment.  He quickened his fingers and his strokes until she arced back and screamed out her pleasure.  Her body clenched around him in shuddering ecstasy.  He found his own release a moment later, pouring himself into her.  
  
Still buried in her, Davis nuzzled her neck.  "Good morning."  
  
Chloe smiled dreamily.  "Good morning."  She stretched back against him.  The move pulling her breasts tight and exposing the peaked nipples.  Davis felt his body grow hard again inside her.  Chloe blinked in surprise, before experimentally pressing her hips back into him.  His body came fully alive again, causing her to gasp.  
  
Davis nibbled her earlobe and pressed his hips into her again.  "Ready for round two?"  
  
Rolling against him and peeping through her lashes, Chloe asked, "You can do that?"  
  
In reply, Davis rolled her partially onto her stomach.  One of her legs was bent up and the other straight.  He hadn't broken their connection, but the new angle allowed him to penetrate her slowly and deeply.  Chloe gasped again.  "Guess so."  
  
Taking his time, Davis made deep, slow strokes, letting her feel his full length move against the sensitive area of her front wall.  His balls slapped and dragged against her with each push in.  For long minutes he didn't change the pace, just making slow deep strokes as she began pressing back against him.  
  
Her cries of pleasure became thick.  She was gripping a pillow and began biting into it with each long, slow stroke.  He knew she was on a plateau, unable to stop and unable to break.  
  
He wanted her to remember.  He wanted her to know she asked it of him.  So he waited and continued his tortuously slow, deep motions.  
  
"Davis..." she said in a thick nearly-sobbing voice.  
  
"Yes?" he asked with another slow, deep push.  She raised her hips to meet him.  
  
"I--"  Her voice caught as he hit the deep place again.  He began pulling out again.  She quivered beneath him as her body tried to hold onto him.  "Davis--I--"  He heard her swallow thickly.  
  
He paused, with just the tip barely inside her shaking body.  "Yes, Chloe?"  
  
"Davis, help me.  I need--I need--"  
  
"What do you need, Chloe?"  He pushed just the slightest bit more into her.  
  
Scrunching her eyes tightly, Chloe bit into the pillow again and moaned.  
  
Davis began to withdraw.  He spoke harshly and softly into her ear.  "What do you need, Chloe?"  
  
Her eyes still tight and her teeth clenched around the pillow, Chloe shook her head wordlessly, but her hips pushed back, trying to hold him.  
  
His voice harsh and thick, Davis spoke into her ear again.  "Tell me, Chloe.  What do you need?"  He probed her again with his hard cock, teasing around her.  
  
Spitting out the pillow, she gasped out one word.  "You."  
  
Biting her earlobe none-too-gently he said harshly, "Why didn't you say so?"  Then he pushed in hard and deep and fast.  
  
Chloe let out a gasp and was shuddering before he had finished three hard, fast strokes.  Her body was still rippling with release as he exploded into her again.

* * *

  
  
Davis was wrapped around her as the waves still rippled from her. She had been having aftershocks for long minutes past her initial explosion.  
  
Chloe hadn't known that was possible.  But then, she hadn't known a lot of things were possible until last night.  
  
She shifted slightly, and Davis moved off of her.  She flipped over and sprawled across his chest, looking at him.  He gave her his half-smile and looked at her intent expression.  "Yes?" he asked, sounding cocky.  
  
"What was that?" she asked.  
  
"What was what?" he said, sounding falsely innocent.  
  
She just looked at him intently.  His smile faltered and he looked away.  When he spoke again, his words were quiet and intense.  "That was me trying to make sure you didn't regret this."  He gestured to them lying on the bed.  
  
 _He was nervous._  
  
Chloe felt something loosen inside her.  Her fears from last night drifting away.  She had been half-afraid that her lack of experience hadn't been enough for him.  He clearly had more experience that her, but that hadn't been it at all.  
  
Seeing her expression soften, Davis pushed a bit of hair out of her eyes.  "So now what?"  
  
Chloe blinked.  Looking up at the clock, she let out a startled cry.  Leaping from the bed, she frantically began rushing around trying to locate her clothes.  "I'm late for work!"  
  
Flipping the covers aside, Davis got up from the bed more slowly.  Chloe stopped for a moment and admired him in the morning sun.  _Dear God..._ It seemed almost impossible, but In the light of day he was even more beautiful than by last night's lamplight.  The soft daylight outlined his muscles and caressed his beautiful proportions.  She blinked in surprise to see he was half-ready again.  _Was that normal?_  
  
 _No time for that now._ She shook her head and continued to hunt down her clothing as Davis pulled on a pair of lounge pants.  Finally dressed, Chloe moved towards the door, Davis following behind.  She suddenly felt shy and thought he might too.  _What next?_ hung in the air.  
  
They spoke at the same time.  
  
"Davis, I--"  
"Lunch!"  
  
Chloe blinked.  "Lunch?"  
  
Looking shy, Davis toed the carpet.  "Yeah. We never got to do that...before."  
  
Chloe suddenly remembered the cafe lunch where she had left him alone.  It was right after proving him innocent of the horrible killings.  She had been scared of what she felt growing between them and needed distance.  
  
She wasn't scared now.  
  
She smiled.  "Lunch sounds good."

* * *

  
  
Davis was feeling a weird sense of déjà vu.  He was sitting outside the cafe waiting to see if Chloe would show.  He was in his uniform, though it wasn't his dress one this time.  He had to go to work after lunch.  
  
Like a ray of sunshine, she appeared from around the corner and joined him.  She was wearing a blue skirt and a lighter blue top.  She must have changed and showered at Isis.  He smiled slightly, thinking he preferred how she had looked earlier with her hair sleep mussed and her eyes glowing with sensual pleasure.  She paused catching the look in his eyes.  Then hitching her purse more firmly on her shoulder, she moved and joined him at the table.  
  
He smiled.  "Glad you could make it."  
  
She smiled back.  "Yeah, it's been a while," she teased.  
  
"Feels like it."  He let her see his heated eyes again.  
  
She paused, trapped by his gaze.  
  
The spell was broken by the waiter arriving to take their drink order.  
  


* * *

  
  
They both ordered ice tea and the waiter left them with menus.  
  
Opening hers, Chloe said lightly, "So what is good here?"  
  
"I can't stop thinking about you."  
  
"Is that one of the specials?" she asked, peering at the menu.  
  
Davis was silent.  
  
Chloe slowly lowered her menu and met his eyes.  She gasped at the molten look.  Heat pooled in her and she swallowed a sudden thickness in her throat.  
  
Now she knew.  She knew what the look meant now.  She thought she had before, but she had been blind.  Until last night, she had no idea what passion really was or what it meant for her.  It wasn't a clumsy, sort-of-nice feeling.  It wasn't a warmth that fell short and left her empty.  
  
It was a scorching blaze that exploded out.  It was a consuming inferno that left you replete but hungry for more.  
  
It was what she saw in Davis' eyes and she couldn't deny it, because now she _knew_.  
  
"Yes," she whispered.

* * *

  
  
Davis grabbed her hand and pulled her through the busy cafe toward the back.  When one of the staff asked if they were alright, he replied in a voice that sounded surprisingly authoritative, "My girlfriend is having a panic attack.  Need to get her somewhere quiet."  He found and pulled her into the tiny bathroom, closing the door behind them and turning the lock.  
  
Then they were on each other.  Hungry, open mouths.  Hands grasping and pulling everywhere.  His.  Hers.  Theirs.  
  
She was glad her extra clothes from Isis included a skirt when Davis dragged her panties down and touched her _there_.  She was already wet.  She worked his zipper and a belt open.  He sprang free, hard and pulsing.  
  
He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pushed into her.  She felt the bathroom door at her back as her pumped his hips into her.  She gripped his shoulders and rode him for all she was worth.  
  
"Yes, yes!" she panted in his ear, feeling the pressure building fast.  Had it only been a few hours?  
  
She came after only a few minutes of hard, fast thrusts against the door.  Davis swallowed her cries with a hard, sloppy kiss.  She felt him shudder and pulse into her a few hard thrusts later.  They collapsed onto the floor against the door.  
  
After a few moments, Davis got up and offered a hand to Chloe.  She accepted it gratefully as her legs were still feeling rubbery.  
  
They righted their clothes and Davis asked with a sparkle in his eye, "Hungry?"  
  
She smiled back.  "Yes."

* * *

  
  
Chloe nearly choked on her iced tea when the cafe owner asked if she was alright after her "panic attack."  
  
With a concerned look he said, "We heard you out here.  Sounded like quite a fit."  
  
Looking intently at the menu, Davis said, "Yes, it was, but luckily I had her medication with me."  
  
Chloe felt her cheeks flame, and hoped the owner just chalked it up to embarrassment over her "fit."  Davis being in his EMT uniform helped sell it as a "medical crisis."  
  
"I'll have the salmon," he told the man.  Then Davis looked at her with laughing eyes.  "What will you have?"  
  
She smiled at him in a way that was more a baring of teeth.  "Same for me."  Her smile promised she would get him later.


	81. Chapter 81

Everything felt changed for Davis.  Chloe had come to him.  
  
He still couldn't quite believe it.  Chloe had come to him.  Chloe had spent the night in his bed.  They hadn't discussed what this meant for them, but he felt remarkably light.  She had come to him again for lunch at the cafe.  He had asked her to meet him at that same old cafe because he wanted to wash away the hurt and failure of the time before.  He remembered months back when he sat outside with the glossy red box that seemed to hold his heart instead of a necklace.  She had walked away saying she needed time away from him.  
  
Now they had broken the pattern of her always walking away.  
  
This time, their meeting at that same cafe was completely different.  They had made frantic love in the bathroom, even though it had only been a few hours since she had left his bed.  Then they sat together, talking and laughing until she had to go back to Isis and he went to Met Gen.  It was what he had always hoped for between them.  Laughter and passion, ease and blinding need.  
  
He could smell her on his clothes the whole day.  
  
Would she come to him again tonight?  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe still felt like she was blushing after her heated encounter with Davis at the cafe.  Never in her whole life could she have imagined _Chloe Sullivan_ doing such a thing.  But then, she hadn't known how it could be with Davis until last night either.  Or again this morning.  Or at the cafe.  
  
Did this make her a sex fiend now?  Her body still hummed.  
  
It was more than that though.  She felt like she could let go with him.  She could make her bad jokes, she could cheat at video games, she could _play_.  That playfulness was something that apparently could be carried over to sex.  She recalled some of her and Jimmy's more erotic efforts, but they hadn't had much staying power in the long run.  "Fun" had never really come into it.  It always felt like they were kids that had somehow snuck into the "adult" section of a store.  He got all giggly and nervous, and she felt silly for trying.  She would just slip back to something that just got him off quickly, so she could take care of herself while he slept.  She blushed to think how often Davis was the one she channeled when she was alone with her fantasies.  She found a rightness in Davis bringing both fun and heat to sex for her.  
  
She thought about her fear that she would be bad at sex because of her lack of experience.  Now she didn't know now if she was actually good at sex, or just good at sex with Davis.  
  
Or maybe Davis was good at sex in general and carried her along?  She found herself oddly sad for Jessica and the other women in his past, because they _were_ in the past.  They didn't get to feel what she just had anymore.  
  
Speaking of the past...  
  
When she sat down at her computer at Isis, she was surprised to see a reply to her email from Jimmy.  _Finally._ Her stomach knotted with anxiety as she opened it.  She guessed that what she said in her last missive must have finally gotten through him.  She knew he would be unhappy, but she really hoped they could remain friends.  He was still so important to her.  
  
Her hand flew to her mouth as tears rose in her eyes at the pure hate in his words.  
  
Jimmy, the sweet boy, her short-lived husband, her friend -- was nowhere to be found in that venomous reply.  
  
Had she ever really known him at all?


	82. Chapter 82

_Chloe Sullivan is not the type of woman to let a man get in the way of her work.  Even though you spent the last two nights with Davis, ok and lunches too, you will not allow your work to slip._ She firmly told herself this, but wasn't sure if it was working.  
  
She was trying very hard to concentrate on the grant proposal on the laptop screen in front of her.  Unfortunately, a half-naked Davis was also in front of her.  A half-naked Davis working out.  A half-naked Davis working out, covered in a sheen of glossy, glistening sweat.  
  
He was in the middle of some sort of bar lift with large piles of weights on the ends.  He was laying on the bench and was lifting the weighted bar straight up from his chest.  Each lift caused his glistening chest and arm muscles to flex and jump.  Davis seemed to rarely sweat, so seeing that glossy shine made her mouth dry with the desire to lick it.  She heard a small plastic-y clatter and realized that her mouth had dropped open, releasing the pen she had been chewing.  She glanced at the pen as it rolled across the countertop and off the edge on the other side.  
  
Chloe made an aggravated noise.  
  
Looking back at her laptop screen she read what she had written over the last hour.  
  
 _To the Board of Directors at Metropolis General Hospital:  
  
The work of the Isis Foundation is crucial to the betterment of the citizens of Metropolis by providing key services to some of its most vulnerable citizens.  The meteor infected did not ask for the powers that can present themselves.  They need a safe environment where they can learn to manage their conditions.  The core principle of The Isis Foundation is hard, naked muscle._  
  
Chloe's mouth dropped open again as she read the last line.  She frantically backspaced until it disappeared.  She saved her (minimal) progress and closed the laptop lid.  She glared at the closed machine.  
  
"You dropped your pen."  
  
Her head snapped up to look at Davis.  He had taken his earbuds out and was sitting up on the bench, toweling his face.  
  
Furrowing her brow in confusion, she asked, "What?"  
  
He nodded to the floor.  "Your pen is on the floor."  
  
"Yup."  
  
He quirked his half-smile.  "Not getting a lot of work done?"  
  
Leaning back in the chair, she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.  "Nope."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her.  She puffed out a frustrated breath.  "Not sure why I thought I could work here.  Too many..."  She waved her hand airily in his direction.  
  
Grabbing the water bottle from next to his foot, Davis asked, "Too many what?"  
  
"Oh, never mind."  She watched as he took a large drink of water.  Looking away from him, her eyes finally fell on the weights on either end of the bar.  
  
"Wow, Davis.  How much weight is that?"  
  
He laughed.  "A lot."  
  
Running her eyes over his naked chest, she looked at the power and not the form.  He was well built, but not as bulky as Clark.  Davis must have strength in his muscles beyond what was visible.  
  
Seeing her appraising look, Davis asked, "What?"  
  
"I knew you were strong after the other night, but I didn't realize you were _that_ strong."  
  
"Well, it is helpful in my line of work.  When someone is unconscious or having an episode it helps to have some brute force."  
  
That made sense, especially as he didn't have a partner.  She had never really thought about why he would be so diligent in his workouts.  She had been too busy watching the results.  It made her realize there was still so much she didn't know about him.  Rising from her seat, she walked over to stand in front of him.  Davis watched her questioningly from his seat on the workout bench.  
  
One thing she was learning from Davis was the sheer FUN of sex.  She decided to make a game of learning more about him.  She began to toy with the buttons on her blouse and watched Davis' eyes alight with a warm glow.  
  
"I don't think I'm going to get any work done, so I think it falls on you to compensate me for my lost time."  
  
Watching her with interest, he asked, "Is that so?"  
  
Thinking for a second, Chloe decided.  "There is still a lot I don't know about you.  So...questions.  One question answered, one button."  
  
Chloe was surprised when Davis' look shuttered.  "Chloe, there are a lot of ugly things...in my past.  You know some of them already.  I'd rather not drag them out."  
  
She certainly had ugly in her past too.  Though maybe she should investigate Davis' past more.  He had asked her to, but...later.  That wasn't what she had in mind for now.  She rushed to assure him, "Nothing like that."  She thought for a moment and smiled.  "Important things like -- What is your favorite color?"  
  
He quirked his half-smile.  "Navy Blue.  You?"  
  
"Don't actually have one.  Though I do like jewel tones."  
  
Davis looked at her face, then her blouse, then her face pointedly.  Laughing, she undid the _bottom_ button.  Davis' half smile lit into grin at being so mildly foiled.  
  
"Next question, " Chloe said.  "Favorite food?"  
  
"Easy -- Pasta Pomodoro.  I make it, and it is awesome."  
  
"Really?  I've have to find a reason for you to make it for me.  I can't cook."  
  
"You make awesome chocolate chip cookies."  
  
"Yes, but that is it."  
  
Davis just shook his head and reaching down, picked up the water bottle by the bench again.  Straightening, he gestured toward her shirt with the bottle.  Chloe obediently popped the second-to-last button.  
  
"What was the name of your fourth grade teacher?"  
  
Davis was taking a large drink, but lowered the bottle with a wry look.  "Now, see, that isn't fair.  I had three of them."  
  
Chloe was puzzled.  "Your teachers shared classes?"  
  
"No."  Davis looked away.  "Three different fourth grades.  Three different schools."  
  
 _Damn it!  I should have known that._  
  
Clearing his throat, Davis said softly.  "One of them was Mrs Hannigan.  She was nice."  
  
Without prompting, Chloe popped a button.  
  
"Do you like animals?"  
  
"Yes, but they don't like me."  
  
 _Huh?_  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"They never have.  Ever since I was a kid.  I vaguely remember something about a bird, but..."  Davis' brow creased with thought.  He threw his hand up in frustration.  "I don't know.  They just don't.  They growl, or run, or whatever.  You?"  
  
"I like dogs actually.  Clark has the most beautiful dog.  His name is Shelby.  I take care of him when Clark is out of town.  I'd love to get one, but I'm gone so much of the day, it wouldn't be fair to leave them in that tiny apartment."  
  
Davis smiled.  Chloe smiled back and popped a button.  She only had two left.  
  
Davis cleared his throat dramatically.  "You know, technically, that was two questions."  
  
Laughing, she obliged by popping another button.  Only one button remained.  
  
"Longest relationship?"  
  
His look closed again, but he still answered.  "Not long.  My...condition scares off most women."  
  
"The blackouts?"  
  
He paused just a moment too long before responding.  "Yeah..."  He paused, before continuing, "I've found a way to manage it now."  
  
She tilted her head as she gazed down at him.  "You got help?"  
  
His look was strangely intense as he looked back up at her.  "Yes."  Then, his mood shifted in the blink of an eye and he smiled up at her.  "That was two again."  
  
She held his eyes, trying to decided what that strangely intent look meant, before undoing the last button and removing her shirt.  
  
Fair was fair after all...


	83. Chapter 83

Davis watched her with heated eyes as she dropped the shirt to the floor.  "Come here."  
  
Chloe paused in surprise.  "You don't think we should move to the bedroom?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Curious now, Chloe moved over to stand before him.  With him still seated on the workout bench, he was eye-level with her chest.  When she got close, Davis' arms moved around her thighs and pulled her close.  His hands moved up the back of her legs and under her skirt to grip her bottom.  She shivered at the touch.  Davis leaned forward and began to kiss along the edge of her bra, over the mounds of her breasts.  She let out a little cry when his tongue dipped below the lace edge to flick across her nipple.  She didn't remember moving them, but her hands were gripping his head to her chest as his hands worked her backside.  Using his teeth, he pulled down the edge of her bra to reveal the nipple fully.  He licked and sucked at the sensitive bud, and Chloe reveled in the pleasurable waves.  She felt wetness coursing from between her thighs, soaking her panties.  Davis shifted his hands and she felt him grasp the sides of the panties and slowly pull them down.  She shifted in eagerness, but once they were down, Davis' hands left her.  She opened her eyes in surprise, and looked down at him.  
  
His eyes were burning bright, but he smiled.  He was still smiling when his hands reached behind her and unsnapped her bra.  She let it fall from her shoulders and off her arms to join the matching panties on the floor.  She moved her hands to his shoulders and over the firm muscles there.  The sweat from his workout was still slick on his body, letting her hands slide easily over him.  She was so intent on the feel of his smooth, slick skin she barely noticed when her skirt also dropped to the floor.  She found herself standing naked before him.  He didn't give her a chance to feel shy, his hands gliding over her hips hips until they reached...AH!!  
  
Davis' finger slid easily into the hot wetness of her center.  The hands she had been gliding over his shoulders suddenly clenched, helping her keep her balance.  She felt her legs widen slightly to give him better access.  Even through her closed eyes, she felt him watching her with his burning gaze.  All her focus was narrowed to the tight core where his finger dipped and teased at her.  When a second finger joined the first, plunging into her, she started to whimper, but caught her breath on a gasp as his thumb moved to circle the sensitive button of her clit.  Unconsciously, her hips pushed against his hand, moving towards the release she could feel building.  
  
"Look at me, Chloe."  
  
Obligingly, she opened her eyes and looked down at him.  His eyes were molten, and his nostrils flared.  She bit her lip as his hand moved faster, harder, but she didn't break his gaze.  Her breath was coming in little pants as she rode his hand.  She was vaguely aware of Davis working at his shorts.  Almost...almost...YES!!  When it hit her, she flung her head back and cried out her release, as shocks went through her body.  Her legs went limp, but the rest of her went rigid.  Unable to balance, she found herself being guided in her collapse by Davis.  
  
Her boneless collapse put her on his lap as he sat wide legged on the workout bench.  As his hands guided her, her fall also planted her firmly onto his hard cock.  His thickness slid into her easily as the shudders rocked her body, which in turn triggered more shocks.  Her feet met the floor and she found herself riding him hard through the shocks.  He may have started in control, but now it was all her.  It was her directing their coupling with her movements of hips and leg.  His hands rested on her hips as a guide, but it was she that set the depth and pace.  It was her that pushed herself up and down onto him fast and deep, controlling their pleasure.  She watched to play of muscles in his face and the fires dancing in his eyes as she moved on him. She reveled in her power as she mercilessly took him.  With each down she filled herself completely with his thick, hard cock, dragging it along the sensitive spot on her front wall.  She milked him with each pull and drag, letting the pressure build within her.  Davis' tight face showed he found his own pleasure in the giving.  
  
The storm inside her was reaching a crest, when she felt Davis begin to stiffen.  
  
"Chloe..."  
  
"Give it to me," she demanded, squeezing him inside her.  
  
He cried inarticulately and his fingers dug into her hips as she felt him pulse and spasm within her.  She claimed his release as her own and exploded to her own orgasm.


	84. Chapter 84

"What would you do if your weren't an EMT?" Chloe asked later as they lay in his bed.  
  
"I think I would join Emergency International.  They are an international organization that works mostly in South America, but in a lot of other parts of the world too.  They provide emergency and mid-term medical support during crises.  Things like natural disasters and epidemics.  You go and help in the immediate need, and then stay until people are safe and stable."  He frowned, then forced a smile again, before adding,  "Or a nurse."  
  
Chloe leaned up on an elbow to better see him.  She was surprised.  She thought that Davis just seemed to fit so well in Metropolis.  "Really?  Kansas to the Rainforest?  That is quite a change.  Why didn't you ever do it?"  
  
He shrugged, but she felt like he was hiding something.  "Not sure.  I just always felt like I needed to be here.  So I found a way to do good here, just in a different way."  
  
Chloe thought about her new role of hero support.  "Yeah, there are certainly enough people here that need help."  
  
Smiling, he flipped her onto her back.  "You know, I think I could use a little help."  
  
She guessed he was just trying to change the subject, but Chloe laughed in disbelief, "Again?"  
  
"Yep."  Grinning, he pulled the covers up over their heads, enclosing them in a dark cocoon as Chloe laughed.

* * *

  
  
Five days.  Five glorious heated days and nights, Davis reflected.  That was how long it had been since she had showed up at his door and everything changed.  
  
The Beast was silent for the days spent with Chloe on his mind and the nights she spent in his bed.  His clothes, his sheets, his apartment, he even swore his skin smelled of her.  Citrus shampoo, lavender soap, and something uniquely Chloe.  
  
 _Oh God, and the sex..._  
  
They were insatiable for each other.  Even with his shifting schedule and Chloe's new project, whatever it was, they had managed to meet at least twice a day since that first night.  They were trying to explore what this meant for each of them, but kept getting distracted.  The bathroom at the cafe was only the first semi-public place they found themselves grappling each other.  Without conscious thought, one or the other would move and they would find themselves lost in a maelstrom of hungry mouths, searching hands, and pulled clothes.  
  
As he walked into Isis with a picnic style lunch, Davis swore to himself that they would take more than ten minutes before the clothes were attacked.  
  
He was wrong.


	85. Chapter 85

Chloe ignored the crash of her coffee mug hitting the floor.  It wasn't her favorite Go Crows! mug and she had much better things to focus on.  
  
Like the primal feel of Davis pounding into her from behind as she bent over her office desk.  It had started innocently enough.  He has brought a lovely picnic lunch.  She had simply reached over the desk to set an out of office message when he had stepped behind her and began kissing her neck.  Before she knew it, her sensible slacks and less sensible panties were around her ankles as Davis slid into her welcoming wetness.  She bent forward over the desk, and scrambled for something to give her purchase so she could push back against him harder.  Davis leaned forward over her and pressed into her with his whole body.  It made Chloe feel like they were animals, the way he was mounting her.  It was so raw and uninhibited, that a new wave of wetness flowed from her.  Until five short days ago, she had no idea that sex could actually be like this.  This was porn star sex.  No one _actually_ had sex like this, definitely **not** Chloe Sullivan.  Chloe Sullivan had boring missionary position in a bed and her heart rate never got above 60.  It was nothing like this raw, clawing need that had her bent over her own desk in the middle of the afternoon, screaming incoherently.  She reveled in the feel of Davis' balls slapping against her clit whenever she pushed back against him.  Something so primal couldn't be contained for long and when he bit her shoulder none too gently and moved into a frantic, sloppy rhythm, she knew he was going over the edge.  The pulse of his orgasm within her dragged her over the edge with him.  They collapsed forward onto her desk together and Chloe watched the bouncing bubbles of her computer screensaver for a moment as she waited for her heart to slow again.  
  
When she had decided that Davis was what she wanted, she couldn't have had any idea exactly what that would mean.  Her only relationship experience had been with Jimmy.  This was nothing like how things were with him.  She tried to suppress any thoughts that she had been wasting her time with Jimmy, but she had never felt anything remotely like this with him.  She had never felt so free, so sexy, so secure.  Davis wanted her in a way she never could have guessed before.  She was also shocked to find the feeling was mutual.  When he walked into the room, she found herself torn wanting to tell him about everything that had happened since he left, wanting to know what he had been doing, or just striping naked and eating marmalade off his tight ass.  She giggled at the last absurd thought.  
  
"What are you giggling about?" He kissed her neck.  She made a happy contented sound.  Experimentally, she shifted her hips and felt him start to stiffen within her again.  She wanted to ask Lois if that was normal, or just him, but felt oddly shy in letting others into this secret bubble she and Davis had made.  
  
He growled deep in his throat and for a moment Chloe thought he may start again, but instead he withdrew from her.  She quickly repressed a disappointed noise, but couldn't quite keep from wincing as her body reminded her it was _Not_ used to this much... exercise.  
  
She didn't know how Davis could tell as she was still face down on the desk, but he asked in concern.  "You OK, Chloe?"  
  
Standing up, she tried to think of a dignified way to retrieve the tiny scrap of fabric that were supposedly panties from around her ankles.  Her practical slacks posed the same problem.  How exactly do other people have do this and not feel kind of...amazed for it?  "I'm fine, Davis.  Just maybe a bit... sore."  She blushed.  Between confessing her relatively limited sexual experience, and trying to work the panty back in place, her face flamed in embarrassment.  
  
She felt his hand close gently on her upper arm and turn her about as she got her clothes more or less back in order.  "Hey.  We can slow down if you need to."  
  
She raised an eyebrow in disbelief and maybe a hint of challenge.  She liked being so irresistible.  This was the second, well -- third if you count this morning's two rounds -- time they had had sex today.  
  
"Really?"  
  
Davis looked a bit sheepish.  "Well, yeah.  The last thing I would ever want would be to hurt you, Chloe."  
  
A rush of warmth filled her for this man.  He was just like that, putting the needs of others before himself.  Even in something as basic as sex.  She cupped his cheek in the way he so liked doing to her before kissing him softly.  "No, I'm fine.  But I'll keep that in mind."  Craning her neck to look across her desk at the floor and the broken coffee mug pointedly, she added, "Though I think you owe me a new mug. "  
  
He gave her that half smile that melted her insides and put his hands up defensively.  "Oh no.  That was all you.  I wasn't anywhere near your mug.  I was busy... elsewhere."


	86. Chapter 86

As soon as Davis left, taking away the basket with the remains of their office picnic, Chloe rushed over to look in one of the mirrors.  
  
 _Oh dear._  
  
Her hair was a dishelved mess and her clothes were creased and rumpled in distinctly unnatural ways.  
  
Not to mention the look in her eyes.  Soft and warm and heavy lidded.  Her body still hummed in afterglow.  
  
 _Yeah, no way anyone would ever believe you had just been doing anything except getting it on._  
  
Then she smiled.  She couldn't help it.  
  
 _Chloe Sullivan_ looked completely sexed up.  _Go figure._  
  
Three years on and off with Jimmy and not once did she recall ever looking like this.  But then, Jimmy had never made her feel like this either.  He had sometimes made her feel beautiful, but not _sexy_.  Davis made her feel irresistible.  
  
She found her smile widening into a grin.  _I guess that is fair since I seem to find him irresistible too._  
  
She took a moment and found herself thinking about his strong, beautiful body.  It seemed unfair how perfect it was.  No scars, no breaks at all in that smooth pale skin.  Her own body was riddled with scars from a thousand small, and some not-so-small, wounds received over her years in Smallville.  Her now-gone healing ability hadn't done anything for her old wounds.  
  
She frowned as she realized how odd it was that he would be so unblemished.  Given his unhappy past, she would have expected there would be some physical evidence.  
  
The reporter curiosity was cut off by the shrill ring of her cell phone.  It was the new Watchtower ring she had created.  Her stomach sank.  No missions were scheduled, so something had come up.  Unexpected usually meant bad in her experience.  
  
She hit answer.  "Watchtower."  
  
Oliver jumped in without any ado.  "Chloe, Oliver here.  Victor is badly injured.  One of his power cells was busted and he is losing battery fluid.  We have him stable, but we need a new one ASAP or we could lose him."  
  
Everything else fell away from her instantly.  She was Watchtower.  Her fingers began typing without her conscious volition.  "Where are you?"  
  
"San Diego."  
  
She quickly pulled up the Luthorcorp files on SynTechnics as well as the upgrade files from Queen Industries.  
  
Victor Stone, also known as Cyborg, was the only survivor of experiments by SynTechnics, a now-defunct company owned by Luthorcorp.  He had been upgraded by Queen Industries so he could hack into schematics and security data, but most of the components that kept him alive were original.  That included his battery cell.  
  
 _Crap._  
  
"Bad news, Ollie.  His power cells are original to the SynTechnics build.  Queen industries has been trying to recreate them, but so far has proven unable.  Victor's only chance is if there are still extra cells mothballed by Luthorcorp.  I'm trying to trace where that technology was stored after SynTechnics closed."  
  
 _Crap, crap, crap.  It was taking so long!_  
  
It was times like this that she almost missed Brainiac.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis' cell phone chirped with an incoming text message.  He smiled when he saw it was from Chloe.  
  
 **Chloe:** Can't meet tonight.  Something came up.  I'll call you when I can.  
  
Davis' smile vanished.  
  
He felt The Beast stir in its slumber.  
  


* * *

  
  
He didn't hear back from Chloe again that night.  Or the day after.  
  
When night came again, he stood outside The Talon, but the apartment was dim.  
  
Isis.  Maybe she was still at Isis.  
  
He didn't make it.  
  
The Beast had been too long suppressed.  It needed a kill.  It wouldn't accept the clean death Davis usually offered it.  It surged through Davis and tore the victim to pieces.  The only thing Davis could be glad of as he watched the monster work was that he had already found a mark before it took over.  The screaming man he tore into was an abusive pimp, not an innocent.  
  
When Davis returned to full control, he felt sickened as he gathered the pieces of flesh that had once been a person.  He would take them to the Smallville field and bury them with the others.  
  
The bloody clothes he would burn.  
  
The monster was sated tonight, but he would have to see Chloe tomorrow or this horror would repeat.


	87. Chapter 87

Chloe snapped awake as the door to Isis opened.  
  
She frantically tried to wipe away the drool that had been streaming from her mouth and onto her desk.  It formed a wet little puddle on several documents.  As whoever-had-come-in walked back through the office, she none-too-subtly plopped her mug over the wet spot.  
  
She had fallen asleep at her desk as she was writing a report of the events of the last few days.  They had located where all of the SynTechnics equipment had been moved after the lab was originally closed.  Unfortunately, that location had proven to be empty.  It had been moved again by Tess Mercer when she took over Luthorcorp.  It had taken more precious time to find the new location of the technology they needed.  Oliver had been forced to break into their main office to find the new location.  They hadn't been sure they would be in time when Victor had gone into a power-save mode that resembled death.  Bart raced to the location and snagged one of the power cells and raced back to Victor.  Chloe had walked him through the installation diagrams for the new power cell on the inert Cyborg.  
  
The shocked cheering she heard over the earpiece told her it worked, even before she heard Victor speak.  
  
"My god, you did it.  I'm alive."  
  
She didn't know who was more surprised -- her, Bart, or Victor himself.  
  
Oliver chimed in over the earpiece.  "Good to hear your voice there, Tin Man."  
  
When they were done sharing their success and everyone had logged off, Chloe thought she would continue to ride the high and get a start on the mission report.  She got as far as typing the title before she passed out at the desk.  
  
 _Well, days of no sleep and little food will do that._  
  
She relaxed when she saw Davis round the corner into the "secret" back office.  
  
 _Damn.  Left the doors open again._  
  
She had been afraid it would be Clark.  Clark didn't know about her becoming Watchtower on a more regular basis.  She didn't look forward to explaining that to him.  Clark didn't approve of her work with Ollie's merry men.  
  
Davis' smile was slightly nervous, as if unsure of his welcome.  
  
 _Crap._ She hadn't gotten back to him after that one text and it had been...what?  Two days?  Three?  
  
Chloe steeled herself for questions and recriminations.  
  
None came.  Davis just held up a brown bag like an offering.  
  
Chloe's stomach took that moment to growl loudly, which caused her to laugh.  "My hero," she said with a smile.  
  
Davis' smile warmed.  "Figured if you were still wrapped up, you probably weren't eating.  So I just wanted to stop by with some food.  Turkey and Swiss on rye, chips, and a cookie.  Oh, and a soda.  Nothing fancy, but figured it would keep for a bit if you were still busy."  He walked across the room and placed the bag on her desk.  She snatched it up and started tearing into the sandwich.  Davis just smiled indulgently then leaned back against the desk and started playing around with his phone.  He had on his EMT uniform and God he looked good.  His posture was relaxed.  Chloe waited for the shoe to drop as she chewed and swallowed, barely tasting the food in her rush to consume it.  
  
Was he really not going to ask where she had been?  Or what she had been doing?  
  
"This your lunch break?" she asked because she couldn't take the calm silence anymore.  
  
"Yeah.  Gave me a chance to swing that by."  
  
His brow creased in annoyance.  
  
 _Here it comes..._ _No, wait.  He was still playing with the phone._  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked curiously as she swallowed.  
  
"Ah, it's my phone.  I was fishing around for it in the glove box of my rig and seemed to have done something to it."  
  
She just looked at him in surprise.  _Really?  No prodding questions?_  
  
She brushed her hands together to rid them of crumbs, then outstretched an open palm.  "Let me see."  
  
He handed her the phone and she quickly scrolled through it.  "Wow, you really did do a number on it."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Chloe glanced at the clock.  It was just past noon.  Weariness started to settle on her again as the food reached her stomach.  She handed the phone back.  "When are you done today?"  
  
"Six."  
  
"I need to go back to my apartment tonight, but if you want, you can come by.  I can take a look at your phone then."  
  
Davis brightened visibly.  
  
 _He missed me, but didn't want to intrude._ She found herself smiling.  
  
"I can cook you dinner in return, if you want," he offered.  
  
Chloe blinked.  "Really?"  
  
Davis shrugged.  "Well, yeah.  As a thank you.  And I do recall promising to make you my Pasta Pomodoro."  
  
She smiled.  "It's a date."  
  
He smiled, then leaned down and captured her lips in a quick kiss.  The fires came alight in her belly, but Davis pulled away.  
  
"I'll see you tonight," he said huskily.  He pushed the paper bag at her that still held the chips, soda, and cookie.  "Finish your lunch."  
  
Then he was gone.  
  
Chloe fought down the disappointment that he hadn't made more of a move after their days apart, but her stomach growled at her again.  
  
 _Tonight_ , she promised herself as she pulled out the rest of the food.

* * *

  
_Tonight_ , Davis thought.  He would see her again tonight.  
  
He didn't know what had kept her away so long.  A part of him had feared she may have been talking with Jimmy again.  
  
Sabotaging his phone had been the perfect thing.  It didn't hint at his desperation for her.  He had gotten an email from his carrier about the design flaw about a week ago.  It warned that a certain key combination could wipe the phone.  He had gotten a replacement, but they had let him keep the old one.  That design flaw had given him the perfect excuse to see Chloe tonight.  He knew she wouldn't be able to resist the puzzle.  
  
It had been so hard to leave without claiming her, but he needed her to stay wanting.  He needed her to think on what he could give her -- what he knew she had never gotten from Jimmy.  
  
He would see her again tonight.  He would be human tonight.  He would spend a normal, happy night making dinner and laughing with her tonight.  He would be able to stay with her tonight.  He would be able to bury himself in her tonight.  
  
He would be able to delay the killing again tonight.


	88. Chapter 88

Chloe felt much better after a few more hours of sleep in her own bed.  When she woke up, she showered and shaved for the first time in days.  She felt like a new woman as she donned clothes that were fresh and clean.  
  
When a knock sounded on her door, her heart began racing.  She opened the door to reveal Davis standing there holding a brown grocery bag full of food.  
  
He gave her a quick kiss as he moved through the doorway.  
  
Her heart kept thumping as he moved to the kitchen and began removing food and placing it on the counter, chattering away about the ingredients.  
  
 _He isn't going to jump me?_ Her mental voice sounded disappointed.  Her nap this afternoon had been heavy with hot dreams of him.  
  
Then she realized what he was doing.  
  
He was playing hard to get!  
  
Well, fine, she would play along.  
  
"Well, let me take a look at your phone while you work your culinary magic."  
  
He handed her the phone and she moved over to the table and flipped open her laptop and got down to work.  
  
The room felt warm and comfortable in the relaxed way she always felt around Davis.  They chatted idly about this and that as he pulled out bowls and pans, easily moving around her kitchen.  He seemed more at home there than she ever did, but then again, she could burn water.  She was much more in her own element on the laptop.  After some quick research, it seemed his phone had a known design flaw.  She was surprised he hadn't gotten the replacement offered.  Ah well, she would fix it as asked.  
  


* * *

  
  
He had a bloody alien destroyer inside of him, but onions still stung his eyes.  _Talk about not fair._  
  
Davis wiped his eyes where they were tearing up from the onions.  
  
Chloe chuckled.  "A man who's not afraid to cry."  
  
He held up the offending onion.  "A man who's not afraid to cut onions."  
  
She smiled back at him.  "You know, you still didn't have to cook me dinner."  Then with an air of triumph, she closed the laptop and picked up his phone moving toward him at the island. "Even though I did manage to override your settings, retrieve all of your addresses, and change your applications so the next time you go fishing for your phone in your glove compartment, you won't erase your whole world with the touch of one button."  He smiled part at her success and part at her obvious pride as he took back the now-working phone.  
  
 _Always good to have a spare phone._  
  
He couldn't resist teasing her as she moved to the other side of the kitchen.  He made his voice twangy as he teased, "Well, well, well... ain't you the most overachieving teacher's pet know-it-all in the room."  
  
Pulling down placemats and silverware, she teased right back.  "Oh, a sense of humor and he can cook."  
  
Davis was quite proud of his cooking skill.  It was something he had consciously chosen for himself because of his unhappy childhood, like being an EMT.  "Well, the one thing that was on the menu at the foster homes I grew up at -- mac and cheese."  
  
Chloe was setting the table for two.  It felt so blissfully domestic.  He didn't want to ruin it, but her absence of the last few days had worried him.  He didn't know how he would control the monster without her.  He didn't want to go back to the nightly killings.  While she was with him, the monster was silent.  
  
What if he was losing her and didn't know it?  What if she thought being with him was a mistake?  He had to know.  
  
The words felt dragged from him with hooks, "So, have you heard from Jimmy lately?"  
  
Her head snapped over to look at him.  He didn't know what to think of the expression that crossed her face before she looked away.  She kept setting the table.  "His last tirade of e-mails" -- _She had gotten emails from Jimmy?_ \--" included every single unflattering word in the dictionary, including some that didn't get past the censors."  She smiled as she spoke, but he sensed the pain underlying her words.  That pain bothered him.  Jimmy could still hurt her.  
  
Jimmy was also, thankfully, an idiot.  
  
"I thought he'd be dying to get back together with you."  He knew he had been desperate for her after just a few days.  Davis knew what _he_ would do if Chloe had agreed to be his wife.  Nothing on earth -- or anywhere else -- would have been able to tear him from her.  
  
She finished with the table and moved to him.  "No."  She laughed uncomfortably.  It was strange to see her discomfited with him.  He didn't like pressing her like this, but he had to know.  If he was heading for a crash-and-burn, he had to prepare.  
  
Chloe continued, "I believe that the last phrase he used was, _don't call me, don't come by. And if you e-mail me, I won't open it._ "  She said it with finality, as if she was trying to reassure him.  
  
 _Wait.  Had she done all that?  Called, come by, emailed?  When?  Hopefully not after...them._  
  
He didn't know if he spoke for her or for himself when he said, "Ouch."  
  
He looked at her as she spoke again.  It seemed like he had cracked the flood gates.  "I thought we were best friends, but... obviously there was some stuff brewing beneath the surface for a while."  Her jaw was tight.  He didn't read love in that tightening.  It looked more like a person betrayed.  
  
 _Am **I** betraying her by keeping the monster secret?  _  
  
She looked so hurt.  "How can you be so close to someone and not really know who they are?"  
  
 _Oh Chloe, you have no idea.  You are light and life and everything good in the world._ _How could you ever understand about the darkness inside?_  
  
About the monster inside?  
  
Caught in his unhappy thoughts, he wasn't really paying attention when he started to cut the tomato.  He sliced deeply into his finger.  
  
"Davis!"  Chloe rushed around the island to him.  
  
He tried to play it off.  The tomato juice and the blood were both red.  "No, it's fine."  
  
She grabbed a towel and started to wipe his finger to expose the wound.  
  
This knife was slightly different from the surgical knife one he had stabbed himself with in the hospital.  So it did wound him, but his body knew it enough to react and heal him quickly.  "Chloe, it's fine,really."  By the time she had cleaned his hand, the wound was gone.  
  
She looked at him with disbelief and concern as she saw he was unhurt.  
  
He tried his best to play it off.  "Quick reflexes, huh?"  
  
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.  
  
 _Great.  I bet she is now wondering if I'm meteor infected._  
  
Another part of him said, _Well, you thought you were too at one time..._  
  
He smiled, but he feared it looked unconvincing.  
  
He was saved by Clark Kent of all people.  
  
The apartment door burst open without warning as the reporter barged in.  "Chloe!"  
  
For some reason the monster inside rumbled when Davis' eyes landed on the other man.  
  
Chloe released his hand, asking Clark brightly, "Call much?"  
  
The loss of her touch made The Beast rumble louder.  Davis looked away from the tall man, hoping that loss of eye contact might soothe the monster.  He didn't know why the monster was reacting this way.  Was it something about Clark?  
  
He heard Clark close the door and speak his name in surprise and...accusation?  "Davis."  
  
Davis kept his gaze averted.  "Clark."  
  
Chloe must have sensed the tension.  Her voice was too bright as she moved around the island to the big man.  "Well, now that we have that all worked out... what's happening?"  
  
There was  silence that went on too long before Clark replied. "I was working on a story I thought you might have some information on."  
  
The monster was slowly waking, reacting to Clark's voice.  _Why??_  
  
 _I have to get out of here!_  
  
Davis was very proud that no hint of his panic came through in his voice when he said, "You know, I forgot something I'm supposed to do. I should go."  
  
Chloe whirled on him in surprise.  She smiled, but he heard the disappointment in her voice.  "What about dinner?"  
  
She had been looking forward to tonight as much as him.  
  
But he had to go, for her safety and Clark's.  
  
"Uh, you know, we'll do it tomorrow. Call it leftovers."  He _would_ see her tomorrow.  He had been a fool not to take her as soon as he saw her.  Now he was running away, leaving her with this man that somehow triggered the monster.  
  
He forced himself to smile at the door, as he held his fixed phone up.  "Thank you."  He didn't even kiss her, the monster was growling within him now and getting louder.  She smiled warmly -- expectantly? -- but he just ducked out the door.  
  
He rushed down the coffee shop stairs, glad they had closed early tonight.  There was no one there to see when he collapsed against the pillar as The Beast began clawing inside him.  He fought back, promising the monster a kill.  He looked up at the apartment where Chloe was still with Clark.  The monster raged within.  He would have to find one of the marks in Smallville.  He wouldn't make it to Metropolis.  
  
Thankfully, there was a woman that had gotten off on a technicality after killing her husband he had marked just in case this happened...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next few are largely going to be straight from canon, but with some mental notes of my own added. I didn't want to detail the entire episode of Eternal, but it is so pivotal to the plot, there was very little I thought I could skip outright. So forgive the scenes you already know that are not strictly Clavis, but I had to keep them in for story flow.


	89. Chapter 89

It turned into a particularly messy kill.  The monster tore the woman apart into bloody chunks.  Davis was almost sick as he he dug a new hole in the field and put the meat in.  He felt better with each shovelful of clean mud that covered over the crime.  When it was done, he trudged back across the squishy ground to his car.  He popped open the trunk of the SUV and put the shovel inside over the tarp.  When he got into the cab, he pulled down the rosary from the rearview mirror and kissed it.  
  
"Forgive me," he prayed to the God that set him on this path.  Another kill, another _sacrifice_ , and the world remained safe.  The innocent remained safe.  
  
So why did his stomach still roil so uneasily?  
  
His phone rang with an unfamiliar number as he started the car and flipped on the headlights.  
  
A red-haired woman holding a phone to her ear stood in the bright light of the headlights.  
  
"I forget. What's the prayer for dismembering a body?"  
  
He only had a second for panic before she raised something in her hand and his car exploded around him.  
  
Then there was nothing.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe scrolled through the Metropolis missing persons page that Clark asked her to investigate.  There was a shockingly high number of people to disappear without a trace around Metropolis and Smallville.  How had no one realized this before?  
  
She felt Clark staring hard at the back of her head in a way that felt distinctly unfriend-like.  "You know, Clark,I really hope you have the safety cocked on your heat vision."  
  
"What?"  
  
She turned to face him.  "You've been staring at the back of my head so hard, I'm afraid my hair's gonna go up in flames."  
  
He looked awkward for a moment before replying.  "I just didn't know you and Davis were spending so much time together."  
  
 _Oh, geez.  Here we go again.  Clark is going to Rah-Rah for Team Jimmy even though he **knows** about everything Jimmy said and did.  Including the fresh stack of divorce papers that arrived today._  
  
At her sigh and eye roll, he backed off...well for Clark, he did.  "Look, if you don't want to talk about it --"  
  
"No, please. I love trudging through stagnant water."  _Again._  
  
"It just seems like you're moving on kind of fast, and I don't get what you see in the guy."  
  
 _So much for not talking about it, and yeah, maybe it is fast, but Jimmy was the one to walk out.  I would still be with him if he hadn't left, but now I think what happened was for the best.  I'm just sorry it took me this long to decide what I actually wanted._  
  
"First of all, it was dinner," she said.  
  
 _Well, tonight it was just dinner so far, but no need to ruffle your feathers more with that._  
  
She continued, "And secondly, he's kind, supportive, and a strong shoulder for me to lean on."  She turned away.  "Which I don't know if you've actually realized, but I could really use right now."  
  
 _I thought that shoulder to lean on would would be my so-called best friend, but we both know whose side you chose there, and it wasn't mine._  
  
Clark wasn't going to be put off that easily, though.  He moved around to face her again.  "Look, it's just I have a bad feeling about the guy. I mean, come on, Chloe..."  
  
Clark was dead set on disliking Davis from the start and she had no idea why.  
  
 _Must you hate everyone I date until they dump me?_ "Don't 'Chloe' me, Clark. What is it with this whole 'meet me out back for a duel' mentality?"  
  
"It might have something to do with the fact that this guy disappears and can't explain where he went. He's full of secrets, Chloe. There's not even a record of his childhood."  
  
 _Seriously??_  
  
"Sounds familiar," she told him pointedly.  
  
Clark leaned down over her, intent, but she was trying to tune him out so she didn't get angrier.  "I don't collect morbid crime-scene photos in my locker, and I'm not the first EMT to show up at every gruesome murder."  
  
The webpage beeped with a new incoming police report.  
  
She frowned as she read the pop-up.  She knew that plate number.  She had watched it drive away a dozen times in the last week.  
  
Clark saw her concern.  "What is it?"  
  
She tried not to panic.  "A vehicle was found on fire just outside of Smallville. It has Davis' license plate."  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe tried not to let her frantic heart show to Clark.  It had been hours between the vehicle fire and when it finally came across the police site.  What if Davis was hurt?  
  
 _Oh god, oh god, oh god..._  
  
Clark pulled up his big red truck to where the remains of Davis' SUV were being loaded onto a towtruck.  
  
What the hell had happened to it?  
  
 _Breathe, Sullivan.  Panic won't help._  
  
She walked up to the tow-truck driver.  "Excuse me. Have the police been here yet?"  
  
She already knew the answer, but it gave her an opening.  
  
"Come and gone," he replied.  
  
 _Ask it quick.  Like pulling off a band-aid._  
  
"Did they find a victim?"  
  
"The thing was abandoned. No sign of a driver."  
  
 _He wasn't in it.  He might be fine._  
  
Her mood instantly brightened.  
  
"Thank you," she told him warmly.  
  
She spun around and saw Clark staring out across the field intently.  
  
 _What the--?_  
  
"Clark?  What's going on?"  
  
"It's weird that Davis would have stopped here."  
  
"Why?  What's here?"  It looked like every other cornfield in Smallville.  
  
"This is the field where my ship landed."  
  
 _Uh oh._ She had learned long ago that with Clark's history there was rarely anything as normal as coincidence.  
  
"That's a pretty big coincidence pill to swallow. This place must hold a lot of memories for you, huh?"  
  
Clark's eyes narrowed in the way she had come to associate with him using his X-ray vision.  He peered at the field for a moment, then a shocked look crossed his face.  
  
"Chloe, memories aren't the only thing buried in that field."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another episode with really bad day/night time discontinuity. I can't even begin to make sense of it, so I smoothed it over in a more reasonable timeline.


	90. Chapter 90

Pain.  Everything was pain.  
  
 _What?  How?_  
  
Davis cracked an eye open.  His other eye still didn't work.  He saw an unfamiliar ceiling, then turning his head slightly, he was blinded by bright sunlight as a curtain was whipped back.  
  
The red-haired woman from last night(?) was standing in the light.  She was pretty, but not beautiful like Chloe.  She didn't have Chloe's light, even standing in the sunshine.  "Were you expecting a chorus of angels? I'm sorry to disappoint you. I wanted to be here when you woke up."  She moved around and sat on the bed next to him.  "I apologize... for the state that you're in. I didn't expect you to end up like this. I was trying to kill you."  
  
 _She's a psychopath._  
  
 _A psychopath that monologues._  
  
"But... ...that seems to be harder than I thought," she finished.  
  
His other eye was starting to work again, letting him focus on her better as she removed part of his bandages.  He tried to speak, but it came out as a pained wheeze at first.  He tried again.  "Why am I here?  Who are you?"  
  
She placed a finger over his lips.  "Shh. You're safe with me."  
  
 _What?  You blew me up!!_  
  
But she wasn't done.  "Safer than out there. If the world knew you were a serial killer, you'd be running from torches for the rest of your life."  
  
 _I'm not a serial killer!  
  
Not like you make it sound...I'm just trying to control the monster!_  
  
But he couldn't tell her that.  No one would possibly understand that.  "You got the wrong idea about me, lady."  
  
"It's not your fault that you were born with a killer instinct. I even admire your altruistic selection of victims.  It's like keeping bats around to wipe out the parasites that prey on the city."  
  
 _My killer instinct?  Oh God.  She knows.  She knows about the sacrifices.  How does she know?_ Something inside him broke at hearing someone speak the truth aloud.  
  
"I can't control myself."  
  
"I know you've tried to absolve yourself, but...even suicide wouldn't really work for a guy who can't die,would it?"  
  
 _No.  No.  She must be guessing.  She can't know._ He pushed away the awful truth.  "I am not who you think I am."  
  
She shook her head.  "No. You're not who _you_ think you are."  
  
 _What?_  
  
She picked up a large book with a V on the cover.  "And today, you proved my theory. After I discovered that you had been a little unfriendly to a few Metropolis citizens, I started looking into your background. The only problem is...you don't have one. I thought I had hit a dead end until I inherited this. Stole it,if I'm being honest. I thought this might jog your rusty memory. It was Lionel Luthor's. It tells a fascinating story about a boy who fell to earth the day a meteor shower destroyed a small Kansas town. I'm beginning to believe the boy did not come here alone."  
  
She was speaking nonsense.  
  
 _So why was it sounding vaguely familiar?_  
  


* * *

  
  
The red-haired woman, who finally gave her name as Tess Mercer, began to read form the large book.  
  
"The day the meteor shower struck Smallville, Lionel sent out a search party for you. Lionel had you taken from that field because he thought you were a prophesied messiah called "the Traveler," a visitor from another planet sent to save humankind. But what Lionel didn't realize is that there were two boys that fell to earth that day. The Traveler... and you."  
  
 _It can't be true, but_...her story brought back vague memories that he had always written off as dreams.  
  
 _He was naked in a field with something that looked like...a spaceship?  A couple talking, holding another boy.  Men chasing him.  A cage.  Men that looked like doctors sticking him with needles.  Taking his hair, taking his blood.  Being locked in a room full of toys.  He liked a red and blue man and put it in his pocket._  
  
It was weird.  The room from his memory almost looked like this one.  
  
 _A green bird.  Everything going red.  The bird was dead. Did he kill the bird?_  
  
Was that why animals didn't like him?  
  
 _Another boy came.  A bald boy.  The boy asked his name.  He didn't have a name._  
  
 _Davis.  My name is Davis,_ he wanted to say, but he hadn't known it then.  The name had been given him long ago in one of the foster homes. He didn't remember which one, but this was still before that long line of short "homes."  How old had he been when this happened?  His records didn't start until he was three, but he felt older than that.  
  
 _The boy let him out of the locked room.  They played.  He was actually happy._  
  
Happy.  It was such a rare emotion for him, that he should have remembered it.  He remembered every single happy moment of the last months, mostly because they were with Chloe.  
  
Finally, Tess closed the book and left.  
  
He fell asleep again almost instantly.  Green birds with glowing red eyes chased him in his sleep.  
  


* * *

  
  
He awoke with a start.  He wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping, but a fair amount of time must have passed.  His bandages were all gone and he was only in a bit of pain.  
  
Had the Mercer woman been the one to tend his wounds or was it someone else?  He had apparently slept through the whole thing.  He threw the covers aside, getting out of the bed, wincing at the pain that still shot through him.  When he saw the pile of clothes at the base of the bed he snatched them and quickly dressed.  They were surprisingly his size and style.  
  
Once dressed, he left to explore wherever he was.  
  


* * *

  
  
The place was a bloody castle.  Complete with tapestries and stained glass.  He had heard stories of the Smallville castle.  Was that where he was?  It made sense with the Mercer woman talking about the Luthors.  
  
He saw a door with an interesting diamond shaped leaded glass window.  That door...where did he know that door?  
  
He opened the door, revealing a library.  He was hit with another wave of deja vu as dreams... _memories?_...flooded him.  
  


* * *

  
_The little bald boy and he were playing with a pair of wooden swords.  The boy said he was a beast and pretended to slay him.  He played along and fell to the floor.  The bald boy opened a box, revealing a glowing green rock that screeched in his mind.  
  
PAIN!  _  
  
Pain that made what he had felt earlier seem like a tickle by comparison.  It was a sharp in his memory now as it was on that day.  
  
 _He was screaming on the floor.  
  
It hurts!  It hurts!_  
  
 _The bald boy closed the box and crouched by him in concern.  
  
The boy brought him a pet toad that he said would make him feel better.  He did feel better after a little bit and they chased the toad around the hallways.  Then a man grabbed him.  He was carried away while the bald boy cried after them. "Bring him back!  Bring him back!"_  
  
The boy had been his first friend and he had completely forgotten him until now.  
  
Then a second thought hit him.  
  
The green rock.  It was a meteor rock.  
  
The pieces snapped into place.  He was an alien monster and the rock had hurt him.  Could kill him.  
  
Meteor rock.  
  
He spoke aloud to himself.  "There's a way."  
  
He could die.  He could finally stop the monster permanently.  He could stop the killings.  
  
He sensed someone behind him and spun to find Tess Mercer.  
  
He didn't trust her, and now that he had a way to finish it, he wanted to go.  He wouldn't let her stop him from destroying the monster.  
  
"You think you can keep me here?" he asked her in his lowest, most threatening voice.  
  
"I know. There's nothing that can restrain you."  She moved around him, much too calm.  
  
She must be planning something.  
  
"Then what are you gonna do?" he asked.  
  
She kept walking away.  "I've been asking myself that question for the last few hours."  He followed after her, curious now.  "What do you do when you find Judas in your midst? Who would Christ have been if Judas had not betrayed him? Maybe we would remember Jesus as only a teacher roaming the desert."  
  
 _Ok, I see we are back to the crazytown monloguing..._  
  
"I don't quite understand what you're getting at."  
  
"Without Judas, Jesus would have never risen from the dead to come back and face his greatest challenge. Saving human kind."  His faith understood that part.  Then she went crazytown again.  "There is a savior among us. You are here to betray him."  
  
 _He was no Judas!  He had just realized that he could stop the monster once and for all.  He had already decided to die to protect the world!  How dare she say he was a betrayer!_  
  
He held his anger in check, his voice was firm as he told her, "I haven't betrayed anyone."  
  
She held his eyes for a moment, then moved away.  "I finally realized that until you fulfill your destiny, he won't have his great challenge to overcome. He cannot become the world's savior without triumphing over the world's destroyer."  
  
Destroyer.  Oh God.  Not-Chloe, Not-Lois, the fortress.  They all named him The Destroyer.  
  
No, that was what they named Doomsday.  Not him.  Not _Davis._  
  
It didn't matter.  The monster inside began to rumble, putting him on edge.  What did she know?  
  
He stalked up to her and roughly spun her, grabbing her too hard.  She gasped in surprise and pain.  He forced the guilt for his roughness away.  Gripping her hair to force her eyes to meet his.  "What savior? What are you talking about?"  
  
Her voice was gasping, afraid.  He saw the fear in her eyes and the monster loved it.  Davis made himself ignore it.  He needed answers.  
  
"Clark," she said.  "There's a reason that you two don't get along. You were destined to kill each other."  
  
Oh, God.  It made sense.  It made terrible sense.  The way the monster had tried so hard to break free in Chloe's apartment.  His instant jealousy of the man.  
  
He released her slowly.  She backed away, her eyes still wide with fear.  
  
She was right to fear.  
  
Davis was releasing her gently.  
  
Doomsday was clawing at his belly.  
  
Faster than it ever had, his vision went red, as the monster surged through him, taking over.  Doomsday lashed out to tear her in two, but Davis barely managed to hold on enough so he just struck her.  
  
Even so, the blow had the monster's strength behind it and she went sailing across the room and crashed into a table on the far wall.  
  
Oh, God.  He had to get out of here!  He had to find a kill for The Beast or it would tear this whole place and everyone around it to pieces.  
  
As he moved through the castle, then across the grounds, guards appeared from all corners of the estate.  He felt bullets strike him, but he had been shot before.  They had no effect.  
  
He tapped the monster for speed, leaving the mansion behind.  He gave the monster direction to another name on his sacrifice list.


	91. Chapter 91

_Oh, God.  Oh, God.  Oh, God._  
  
Chloe's mind refused to come up with anything better to encompass her horror.  
  
She had spent the last week snuggled in bed with a serial killer.  
  
 _And her desk, and the cafe bathroom, and his ambulance..._  
  
 _Oh, God.  Oh, God.  Oh, God._  
  
Clark harping at her was definitely NOT helping.  
  
"The guy blacks out regularly,and you chose not to mention it?" he yelled at her as they walked into The Daily Planet after their stop at Isis.  She had done a full search on Davis from the back room of Isis, but Clark wanted to review some of the files he had collected on Davis that he had here.  
  
"I figured he had low blood sugar or something," she tried to joke.  
  
"He told you he was hiding something dark inside, Chloe! That didn't set off any alarms for you?"  
  
She bee-lined for the coffee.  Coffee always made sense.  Coffee didn't give you repeated orgasms and then kill a field full of people.  
  
 _Oh, God.  Oh, God.  Oh, God._  
  
Crap, what had Clark just yelled at her about now?  Oh, yeah...  
  
"You know what, I figured dark meant moody, or bipolar at worst. I don't exactly jump right to serial killer."  
  
She spun to face him and realized she was too flustered to drink the coffee she had just poured.  She put it down.  
  
Clark had the bit between his teeth.  "And all the times that you were angry at me for doubting him --"  
  
"I know, okay?! I was in denial.  I -- you know, I -- I couldn't believe that it was this bad."  
  
Should she have known?  She had been sleeping with Davis.  Should she have realized he was a killer?  
  
Sweet, sexy, funny Davis -- a killer.  
  
 _Oh, God.  Oh, God.  Oh, God._  
  
"It's not that bad, Chloe. It's worse."  
  
 _Thanks for the support, Clark.  You don't know the half of it._  
  
Oh God, what would Clark think if he found out she had been involved with Davis?  He had reacted badly enough just finding them making dinner when he just thought it was her giving up on Jimmy.  If he knew she had been sleeping with Davis too...  
  
Jimmy!  
  
 _Oh, God.  Oh, God.  Oh, God._  
  
She felt tears burning her eyes.  "I just can't believe he's the serial killer that --"  
  
"That Jimmy warned us about," Clark finished flatly.  
  
There it was.  It was out there now.  She had protected a serial killer instead of believing her husband.  It struck her like a physical blow.  
  
Clark turned away and retrieved a file from his desk.  His voice was calmer now.  "I did some checking into these missing persons. They're not exactly Metropolis' finest -- assault charges,breaking and entering, abuse."  
  
"So you think Davis is on some sort of vigilante mission?"  
  
Why did that make her feel better?  It shouldn't have.  
  
 _I guess I'm just trying to find anything to make myself feel less horrible._  
  
"He was until last night. He's not stupid enough to abandon his car next to a...a field full of evidence. Chloe, I get the feeling someone took him."  
  
 _Davis!_  
  
She quickly suppressed her panicked reaction.  Even now, her first thought was fear for him, and she had a suspect after her search at Isis.  
  
"When I was looking into Davis' past, his county records had already been checked out by someone. I think it's time to pay a visit to the widow of Luthorcorp."  
  
"I'll find her.  You go back to Isis and see if you can find out anything more about what Davis was doing."  He handed her the files.  
  
"Ok."  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe knew that Clark wanted her to investigate the missing persons' files he had given her at The Daily Planet, but instead she was looking at gruesome crime scene photos.  Crime scenes that had been marked as suspicious due to the intensity of the violence involved.  
  
Crime scenes where Davis was the first EMT on the scene.  
  
Most of the crimes had happened during the past few months.  Months she had known Davis.  Even one that happened the past week she had been sleeping with Davis.  
  
He had told her he found a way to mange his condition.  
  
Had _Davis_ done this?  
  
Since last night, she had begun to wonder if he was meteor-infected.  Had he snapped and gone vigilante?  If so, was he capable of this level of violence?  Bodies ripped in half.  Limbs torn off.  Heads snapped all the way around.  It didn't look like anything done by...a human.  
  
At least not a normal one.  
  
She heard the door close, and started slightly.  
  
Clark.  He was still startling her after all these years.  
  
She felt him watching her.  "What did the Luthorcorp diva have to say?"  
  
She finally tore her eyes from the bloody image before her to look over at...not Clark.  
  
Davis.  
  
Oh God!  
  
She lept from the chair.  
  
The man she had found so sexy in the dim light of their apartments suddenly seemed sinister to her.  "I know what you've done.  Jimmy was right."  
  
He began moving around the desk towards her, holding out a placating hand.  She moved away.  
  
"Uh, that guy that I killed... he was a drunk driver.  He was a three-time offender."  
  
Did he think that made it _OK?_  
  
Oh god, he was behind her desk now.  
  
 _The desk where just a few days ago... **No!** Don't think about that!_  
  
"And what about all the others? Are you gonna try and justify killing them, too?"  
  
She made a break for it, but he moved fast after her.  She began pulling things down behind her, hoping to slow him as she dashed madly for the door.  
  
He was shouting behind her.  "No, I didn't know what else to do! I'm sorry!"  
  
He caught her arm at the door and spun her around.  She slapped at him ineffectually.  "You lied to me!"  
  
She didn't know why she shouted that last.  She wasn't even sure what he had specifically lied to her about...unless it was about who he really was.  After he admitted to murder, her shout felt too...personal.  He was a killer.  Why did it matter if he lied to her?  That was the least of his crimes.  
  
So why did it hurt so much?  
  
He held her arms.  "I had to.  I didn't want to drag you into all this."  
  
His eyes looked pained.  
  
Chloe ignored it.  He deserved pain.  
  
She broke free.  "Then why are you here?!"  
  
She hardened her heart as distress washed across his features and he gasped in pain.  He looked away, then back to her hard, accusing eyes.  
  
He looked like his heart was breaking.  
  
"I love you," he said simply.  
  
She had heard him say the words before in her head, in her fantasies, though she would never admit it to anyone.  In her fantasies, they were in bed, or feeding each other picnic snacks, or stretched out on the couch.  
  
Never had she imagined it following a murder admission.  
  
She was flooded with anger.  She felt her jaw tighten.  _How dare you do this to me NOW?!_  
  
He waited for a reply, but she gave none.  He continued in a voice thick with suppressed emotion.  "And I need to know if you care about me."  
  
She backed away as if his vileness could somehow rub off on her.  Her anger, regret, and disgust for both him and herself broke free.  "How can you ask me that?"  
  
She wanted to _**HURT**_ him, like he hurt her.  She backed away and let her eyes show her anger and disgust...and betrayal.  Her eyes moved over him, taking in the body she had enjoyed so much.  The body that disgusted her now for the black heart within.  "I thought I did."  
  
Davis looked like he had been punched in the stomach.  His eyes looked shiny with unshed tears.  He looked...broken.  
  
She hardened her heart further.  _He deserves it.  He deserves all the pain I can give him and more.  He deserves pain for doing this to me._  
  
He deserved the pain for making her so happy when his heart was so twisted.  
  
He pulled himself together after a moment and looked at her steadily, walking forward.  "Then I need you to do something for me."  
  
Ignoring the burn in her own eyes, she stood her ground, her response dripping venom.  "I won't do anything for you."  
  
He stepped forward, his eyes shining.  His voice was soft, but firm.  
  
"I need you to help me die."


	92. Chapter 92

_No!_  
  
Chloe's hard-won coldness broke, and she felt her head shake in the negative without even thinking about it.  
  
 _You can't die, Davis!_  
  
She pressed her lips together for a moment, trying to pull her armor back on.  When she felt stronger, she spoke.  "No, Davis.  Just turn yourself in to the police."  
  
He shook his head.  "No, Chloe.  I can't do that."  He met her eyes with his pained ones.  "It isn't safe."  
  
Her brow wrinkled in confusion.  "Safe?  What do you mean?"  
  
"The Beast that crashed your wedding..."  Davis took a large breath and released it.  "That was me."  
  
Chloe looked at him without comprehension.  "What?"  
  
He closed his eyes for a moment.  When he opened them again, he looked at her with eyes full of pain and regret.  "Chloe, the monster, it is a part of me.  It takes me over.  What I did..."  He gulped.  "The killings I did, were all to control The Beast."  
  
Something inside Chloe's mind splintered and tumbled down with a sound like breaking glass.  
  
One of her remaining mental walls had just shattered.  
  
 _She remembered..._  
  
Memories of her vision in the hospital.  The vision she had when Brainiac consumed the last of her memories, came rushing back.  
  


  
_Flashes of the Doomsday symbol, skittering across her awareness._  
  
Davis appearing from the dark, smiling.  
  
The symbol flashed again.  
  
"Hey, Chloe" he says.  
  
Davis reached out a hand.  
  
She took it.   
  
_Doomsday._   
  


  
She looked at him in horror and sudden comprehension.  "You're Doomsday."  
  
Why hadn't she seen this before?  Why hadn't she realized the only memories Brainiac left her were of...Davis?  
  
Blast her fragmented mind during those critical weeks!  
  
He met her eyes with a strange mix of fear and hope.  "So you remember now?"  
  
She shook her head, backing away.  "I think you better explain everything to me, Davis."  
  


* * *

  
  
Haltingly at first, but when she didn't interrupt, Davis told her the whole of the story.  
  
He told her everything Tess Mercer had said.  
  
He told her about the blackouts he had had since he was a child.  
  
He told her how they had gotten worse with him waking up covered in blood in strange places.  
  
He told her about his strange meeting with Lois and his death and subsequent return.  
  
He told her how he thought he was meteor infected with some kind of adaptive invulnerability and had planned to come to her.  
  
He told her about finally realizing he was the monster, too late to stop it from taking over.  
  
He told her about the fortress and seeing her there and everything Not-Chloe told him.  
  
He told her about Doomsday and breaking free from the fortress.  
  
He told her about using drugs to control the monster.  
  
He told her about killing Linda Lake.  
  
Finally, he told her about using killing to control the monster.  How he began to choose the worst society had to offer as "sacrifices" to the monster.  
  
As he spoke about the last part, something started to tickle in his mind.  It had seemed so reasonable when he first started the killings, but now as he spoke of it to Chloe, it felt wrong.  Sick.  
  
Had there really been no other choice?  He had stopped looking for a way to control the monster once he started the killings.  
  
Until Chloe.  
  
He didn't tell her about her influence over him, over the monster.  He held that part back.  He didn't want to burden her with it now that he finally found a way to slay the monster, destroying himself once and for all.  
  
He could end the killings.  He could stop his sick and twisted solution that wasn't really a solution at all.  
  
There was a certain lightness that came with finally laying it all out to Chloe.  He was finally being open with her.  More open than he had ever been with anyone.  
  
He needed to track down a large quantity of meteor rocks.  He expected Chloe had the resources, because of her work with Isis.  He needed to make sure that they had enough to guarantee the exposure would kill him.  
  
It was almost poetic that she would be the one to kill him.  The person that had been keeping him human, would be the one to take it all away.  
  
He would die by the hand of his love.  
  


* * *

  
  
_It all made a twisted sort of sense._  
  
She was sitting across from him on the Isis couch.  She understood, but couldn't forgive him.  She purposefully kept the space of the coffee table between them.  She needed the physical distance.  She needed to think.  His closeness would be a distraction.  
  
Her emotions were already playing traitor against her.  
  
It was strange, but she no longer feared him.  She understood everything he had been through now.  
  
He had made terrible choices...but what else can you do when all the choices are terrible?  
  
No, she couldn't think like that.  It made what he did seem excusable.  He was a killer.  Maybe he hadn't wanted to be, but he had still done it.  He could have come to her, but he didn't.  
  
She met his gaze.  His eyes looked broken.  
  
She quickly turned away.  No, he hadn't wanted to come to her about this.  He hadn't wanted her to see him this way.  He never would have told her.  
  
The killings would have continued.  
  
No, that wasn't entirely true.  He had come to her now.  He said he had found a way to die that would end it all.  
  
Davis wanted to die.  He wanted her to help him die.  
  
"So what makes you think that me helping you die now wouldn't just bring you back?" Chloe asked.  
  
"The green meteor rocks.  They can hurt even the monster.  Can kill it.  I hadn't remembered them until Tess Mercer kidnapped me.  If we can expose me to enough of the rock, then I'll die.  More important, the monster will die too."  
  
Chloe thought for a moment.  
  
 _Logistics.  Focus on that.  Not Davis dying.  Logistics._  
  
"I think I know a place..."


	93. Chapter 93

The lab was cold.  Or at least, it seemed like it was.  His body didn't really feel cold anymore, but his mind said he should be.  He found that he kept rubbing his bare arms for warmth that they didn't really need.  
  
Maybe it was just fear.  He didn't want to die.  
  
But he had to.  
  
He couldn't justify the killings anymore when there was a way to stop them.  The power Chloe had over him was too fragile.  He couldn't put the fate of the world on his heart.  Her heart.  
  
So he would stop his heart instead.  
  
The lab glowed with evil green radiation from the liquid meteor rock cylinder above the cage.  
  
Beasts should be kept in cages, so they got that part right at least.  
  
He looked over at Chloe where she stood behind the control panel.  He had been avoiding looking at her since he told her the truth.  He didn't want to see the disgust, anger, and shame in her eyes.  
  
Instead he saw she was silently crying.  
  
Crying for him.  
  
His chest constricted.  Maybe she didn't hate him.  Maybe she still cared, even now that she knew the truth.  Maybe they still had a chance.  She could control the monster, and...  
  
No.  
  
This was how it had to be.  
  
He had been kidding himself, lost in the joy of being with her.  
  
Maybe he would be with her again one day.  
  
If he killed the monster, would that be enough to redeem him?  
  
Probably not.  
  
He was just as much a monster as Doomsday, and monsters burned in hell.  They didn't get to go to heaven and wait for the girl they loved.  There was no doubt in his mind that a soul as bright and loving as Chloe's would go anywhere but heaven.  
  
So this was it.  The few days they had together were all he would ever know of heaven.  At least he had that much.  He would take those memories with him happily to ease his torment.  
  
But watching Chloe cry was tearing at him.  He couldn't falter now.  He swallowed to make sure his voice was firm.  
  
"It's time."  
  
"I can't--"  Her voice caught.  She turned her tear-streaked face to him.  "I'm sorry."  
  
He couldn't let her sway him.  
  
He implored, "I finally found a way out of this.  Don't take that away from me. Please.  Pull the lever, Chloe."  
  
He blinked quickly a few times.  No tears.  Instinctively he knew that if he showed weakness, she would falter.  He had to be strong for both of them.  He would take the burden from her.  
  
The sin was his.  
  
He inhaled deeply and shut his eyes.  He was ready.  
  
"I can't kill you, Davis" her tear-filled voice said.  
  
He opened his eyes again to see her hand hovering over the lever.  
  
 _Whoosh._  
  
Suddenly Clark was there, pulling Chloe away.  
  
"Chloe,what are you doing?"  
  
 _No, don't interfere!_  
  
"It's my life, Clark. I can take it if I choose."  
  
Clark released Chloe and moved towards him.  "Davis, don't be a martyr."  It was strange to see Clark fighting for him and not against.  Did Clark know who he really was now?  Did he know he was Doomsday?  
  
Chloe jumped in.  "That's not what this is, Clark."  
  
He told the big man the truth.  "I'm not doing this for you.  I want this to end. I can't live with myself."  Or more accurately, he couldn't live _as_ himself.  He couldn't keep doing what he did as a justification to keep the monster in check.  Not when there was another way.  
  
The big man moved closer, looking at him intently.  "But it's not your fault. Everything that's happened to you is because of me.  Alright, we should have been brothers."  
  
 _A brother?_ He would have liked that.  
  
No, there was no point in that thinking.  
  
But Clark was continuing, "Davis, you didn't have a home. If that would have happened to me... I've always wondered what it would have been like if the Luthors had found me in that field. I could have turned out differently."  
  
There was something naive and powerful in Clark's conviction.  Davis finally saw it then.  Clark really was meant to be a savior.  
  
Davis pushed up against the glass.  He had to make the big man understand.  "But you didn't.  You were destined to have the better life.  No matter how hard we try to fight it, we will always return to our true nature."  
  
He turned away from the glass.  _Is my true nature the human killer or the monster?  Guess it doesn't really matter.  We both die today._  
  
He cried out, "Chloe, pull the lever! Let me end this!"  
  
Clark turned to Chloe sharply, marching toward her in his conviction.  "No, Chloe, you have to give this another chance. This is not set in stone."  
  
Chloe looked torn.  
  
 _God, the pain they were putting her through._  
  
"Enough, Clark. You know that you should let me die."  They all knew it.  Save the Savior, kill The Beast.  That was as it should be.  
  
Clark turned to him again.  "Davis, there has to be something in your life -- something that is worth giving it one more try."  
  
Davis couldn't help it.  His misty eyes went to Chloe.  His light.  His love.  His only heaven.  
  
She met his eyes, but dropped them when Clark turned to look at her.  
  
No.  
  
"It isn't always about...where your heart is. It's about what you've done and what you're going to do. I was sent here to destroy you, Clark."  His vision was blurred by tears and his voice was choked with emotion.  
  
Davis felt The Beast surge within him.  
  
 _Oh no._  
  
He had let himself get too emotionally stressed.  Between his weakness and Clark's presence, Doomsday was rushing in, taking over.  
  
 _Have to warn..._ "Clark."  He gasped and choked.  The monster was tearing inside his belly.  He collapsed to the grated floor.  
  
Clark was pounding on the glass, calling his name.  
  
His vision went red.  
  
 _ **KILL!  KILL!  DESTROY!!**_ Doomsday raged within.  
  
No, there would not be any Heaven waiting for him.  He had the monster's voice as Davis cried, "There aren't enough prayers in this world to give me redemption!"  
  
He wasn't sure if it was him or Doomsday, but he surged at the glass towards Clark.  
  
He would force their hand.  Make them destroy him.  
  
He heard Chloe's cry -- "Clark!"  
  
Then searing, burning, mind-numbing pain as the liquid meteor rock poured over him.  His legs went weak and wobbly.  Then he collapsed under the awful, burning shower.  He raised his face into the deadly fall, willing himself to submit.  To die.  
  
Another repressed memory came as he felt himself slipping away.  
  
 _He was that little boy again.  The mansion guard left him at the side of the road, giving him a backpack._  
  
"What are we doing here?" he asked the man.  
  
"I was told to drop you off here," the man replied.  
  
"But who's gonna meet me?"  
  
No reply.  The man got back in the car.  
  
No one.  No one would ever meet him.  No one would ever want him.  
  
 _Red._  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis returned to the burning present.  The pain was lessening now.  Or maybe he was just growing numb to it.  He was drifting, but his mind remembered the feeling of that day.  
  
 _It was my first blackout._  
  
I was only a boy, only just born, but I was already a monster.  
  
No one.  No one would ever meet him.  No one would ever want him.  
  
He sank lower against the cage wall.  Then he sensed something.  He rolled his head to the side.  
  
 _She_ was there.  
  
 _Chloe._  
  
 _God, I love you._  
  
Tears raced down her face.  She placed her hand against the glass of the cage.  
  
He forced himself to lift a hand to align with hers through the wet green-spotted glass.  He tried to smile.  He wasn't sure if he succeeded.  He hoped the gesture conveyed even a tenth of everything he couldn't say.  
  
 _I love you.  You were the best thing in my life.  You were everything in my life.  I just wish we'd had more time.  I wish we'd had a future.  I wish..._  
  
He felt his thoughts falter.  His hand slipping...  
  
Nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My feels!
> 
> Ok, so this scene is completely heartbreaking in canon. I hope that I did it justice here.


	94. Chapter 94

She kept it together.  
  
She kept it together when Clark pulled her away from the glass cage and the now-drained away meteor rock liquid.  Leaving only Davis' lifeless body behind.  
  
Even in death, he was beautiful.  
  
She kept it together when Clark drove her home in her car.  
  
She kept it together as she walked through The Talon and up into her apartment.  
  
She lost it when she saw the rotting food from the meal preparations of the Pasta Pomodoro that Davis had started making for her.  


* * *

  
  
She and Clark had rushed out of apartment once they saw the pop up about Davis' car.  It had never occurred to her that the food was still sitting out.  
  
But there it was, waiting on the return of a chef that was no more.  
  
Laughing, teasing, sexy Davis.  
  
A killer.  Now dead himself.  
  
Was that laughing night together just 48 hours ago?  
  
Screaming, she grabbed up the hapless bowl of tomatoes and flung it to the ground with all her strength.  The blue pottery bowl shattered with a satisfying crash and splat.  The peppers went next.  The glass shards of that bowl mixing with the pottery of the first.  The peppers themselves fared better than the splat of the tomatoes as they rolled across the floor.  Next she grabbed up the plate of herbs.  That was metal, and while it clanged nicely, it wasn't as satisfying as the first two.  She grabbed a partially-sliced tomato -- the one Davis had cut himself chopping -- and threw it down.  She stomped on it for good measure, sending juice as red as blood shooting out.  Another cutting board still held a half-chopped onion with a knife beside it.  She gripped the knife in a fist and _stabbed, stabbed, stabbed_ at the onion.  When her vision blurred with tears, she blamed the onion and just kept stabbing.  When she could no longer see at all for the tears, she released the knife, collapsing onto the floor in the puddle of vegetables and shards.  
  
She could barely breath through her sobs.  She felt as broken as the dishes around her.

 

* * *

  
  
She awoke on the kitchen floor with crusty eyes and raw skin.  She didn't know when or for how long she had slept, but a fair amount of time must have passed.  The crushed tomatoes were dried on everything, as was the blood of the thousand little cuts  in her skin from the shards of pottery and glass.  
  
Her clothes were a mess.  
  
She found a new and instant hatred of the cute purple outfit she wore.  The clothes she wore to kill Davis.  She wanted them off.  She wanted them gone.  She wanted them to not exist.  
  
She wanted them to burn.  
  
Carefully, she got up from the floor and stripped the clothes from her body.  She removed everything down to her bare skin right in the middle of her tiny kitchen,  dropping them all right there on the floor.  
  
Once naked, she moved through the apartment and into the bathroom.  
  
 _Long shower, then I'll deal with the mess._

 

* * *

  
  
The clothes burned nicely in the little orange pot-bellied stove.  
  
Cleaning up the mess of the kitchen took longer.  
  
The only bright side to it was that by the time she was done, she was exhausted again.  She fell sleep almost instantly in her lonely, cold bed.  


* * *

  
  
"DAVIS!!"  
  
She woke up to find she was screaming his name.  She had dreamed of watching him die all over again.  
  
She fought against the tears as she collapsed back on the bed.  She curled into a little ball under the covers and watched the sun rise.  
  
After a time, she got up and threw on a hoodie.  She didn't wear them often, but it made her think of him.  It seemed appropriate.  She made some coffee and relit the fire.  
  
As she stared into the flames, she tried to distract herself by thinking about what she would tell Clark about what happened.  


* * *

  
  
She stared at the photo of the image from the cave wall. Two sides of the same coin.  The Savior and The Monster.  How twisted it was that she had loved them both.  
  
It was late afternoon, and she was curled on the couch with yet another mug of tea.  She had switched to tea from coffee by the third cup.  She stared at the image, hoping to find some sort of answer.  She couldn't make herself move, not even when she heard the door open and Clark enter.  
  
"How are you holding up?" he asked gently.  
  
"I've had better days." she replied honestly, placing the photo on the coffee table.  "And that's saying a lot in Smallville."  
  
She hated to ask, but she had to know...  "And Davis'..."   She couldn't get the word out... _body._  
  
Clark moved to sit at the end of the couch with her.  "I spoke to Oliver.  He's taking care of the details. We need to talk about what happened."  
  
She had rehearsed this conversation in her mind all morning.  Davis was gone.  He had sacrificed himself for Clark.  For her.  For the world.  Clark had to fulfill his destiny to make that sacrifice mean something.  Clark had to be made to understand that.  
  
"It wouldn't change what I did."  She was proud of how firm she sounded.  
  
"But there's always another way."  
  
 _No, Clark, not always.  If there was, we would have done it.  Then I wouldn't have lost him._  
  
She refused to think on that, focusing on Clark instead.  _Make it mean something._  
  
"He could have killed you, Clark. I won't risk the safety of the world because of your code of ethics...because you refuse to stop the things that threaten you."  She felt the tears sting in the corners of her eyes, but kept her voice firm.  
  
Clark didn't say anything.  What was there to say?  They both knew she was right.  She and Davis made the hard choice.  Clark just had to carry on with what they had done for him.  
  
Clark had it easy.  
  
He broke his gaze from her, picking up the image from the cave wall of the two-headed creature.  "Jor-El said he was the ultimate destroyer. Didn't turn out to be much of a fight."  
  
In that moment she almost hated Clark.  The fight had been Davis', not his.  _Davis_ was the one that had fought.  Fought the monster, fought his alien nature, and finally fought his own desire to live.  He had made the ultimate sacrifice and here Clark said it "wasn't much of a fight?!"  
  
She felt her jaw clench, holding back the angry words.  
  
Clark stood, taking the photo with him.  He moved to crouch before the fire in the stove.  She wondered if any traces of her burned clothes were still visible in the ash as he dropped the photo on the flames.  She forced herself to stay on the couch, though she desperately wanted to snatch the photo from the flames.  It felt like he was closing the book on Davis, like the sacrifice -- now done -- was meaningless.  She sighed to herself, holding her spot on the couch.  
  
"When I was a kid, I used to have this nightmare.  My ship landed in a field,and no one ever found me."  
  
Her suppressed anger at Clark's behavior came through in her voice, "That nightmare was Davis' life."  
  
 _So show some fucking respect, damn you!_  
  
He continued, like he hadn't heard, lost in his own thoughts as he watched the flames eat the image.  "I always felt like it was a burden, knowing that I was destined to save people. I can't imagine what it must have felt like knowing that no matter how you lived your life, you were doomed."  
  
Doomed.  
  
Davis had fought so hard against his fate, but Clark was right.  Davis had been doomed from the beginning.  How could he have let things between them get so...intense when he knew all along who he was?  What he was?  
  
How could he have done this to her?  To...them?  
  
How could they be so happy when it had all been built on a lie?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Canon fans out there, you can see that the setup for Chloe and Davis' dinner is still there as she is investigating for Clark. It seemed unlikely to me that after seeing Davis' car info pop up that they would take the time to clean before going to the scene. I also thought that little tidbit would give me a great starting point for expressing Chloe's grief. By the time she talks to Clark, she is numb, so I wanted to explore the other stages of grief for her.


	95. Chapter 95

Davis slowly returned to consciousness.  He felt muzzy and overheated.  He moved to push off the blankets, but hit arms knocked against wood.  
  
His eyes snapped open and saw... nothing.

He was in complete and total darkness.

Memories returned in a rush.  The lab, the meteor rock, the blinding, earth-shattering pain.  Chloe looking through the glass.  
  
He had died as they planned, but he had returned... again.  
  
NO!  
  
He closed his eyes at the pain of the realization.  Not even the meteor rock could kill him now.  The plan had backfired.  
  
They had failed.  
  
Now nothing could kill him.  
  
He felt something crack inside himself.  A wave of madness rushed through that crack, stealing over him.  He heard maniacal laughter echo in the small space.  
  
It was coming from him.  
  
He knew where he was now.  He was a dead man, so they had buried him.  
  
His chest rose and fell, but he wasn't really breathing.  He had no idea how long he had been dead, but it seemed it was long enough for all the oxygen to be used up before he awoke.  He wondered madly if he had suffocated and come back to life again without even realizing it.  
  
He knew enough to realize he wasn't entirely sane when he felt the monster stir and assume control and he was... glad.  
  
The monster wouldn't care if it had been buried alive... well maybe they weren't alive at the time of burial, but whatever.  
  
In the absolute blackness of the box, he shouldn't be able to tell his vision was going red, but he could.  His body was wracked by the transformation, but he couldn't silence his mad laughter.  Even when his throat closed around the monster's howl of pure rage, he heard his own insane laughter follow him down into the darkness.  
  
Then, finally, silence.

* * *

  
  
He awoke to darkness again, but it was the normal darkness of night.  
  
His first thought was that his wits seemed to have returned.  He didn't feel that awful mad laughter echoing anymore, though he felt that something was still... wrong.  
  
Had the meteor rock death and subsequent "live" burial driven him insane?  
  
No, he didn't think so.  
  
But isn't that what a true madman would think?  
  
Davis pushed the uncomfortable thought away.  
  
He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the cold twinkling light of the distant stars.  For the first time, he found himself thinking about Krypton.  They said that half the stars in the night sky were dead, but it took so long for their light to reach earth that you still saw them.  Or at least you saw their ghost light.  Could one of those pinpricks be the light of the exploding planet?  
  
A cool breeze blew and he shivered, more from habit than actual chill.  Hot and cold had long since stopped affecting him.  Now he dressed for the weather more as a matter of camouflage.  
  
Speaking of dressing, he looked down at his body and realized only a few rags still clung to him.  The monster taking over and clawing its way free from the earth had destroyed whatever clothes he had been buried in.  
  
Thankfully, he had gotten into the habit of secreting caches of clothes all over Metropolis and Smallville.  Rising from the ground, he realized he was near the field where he buried the... sacrifices.  That wrongness scratched in the back of his mind at the word, but he pushed it back again.  
  
The Beast had returned here instinctively.  There would be a clothes cache hidden inside a hollow tree in the nearby woods.  
  
 _Clothes, then I'll figure out what to do next._

* * *

  
  
After retrieving the clothes and dressing, Davis sat on a stump to think.  His thoughts felt clear, though there was still that weird, scratching, _wrongness_ in the very back of his mind.  But at least, it wasn't the overwhelming madness he felt in the...grave.  
  
He forced his body to contain the shudder.  
  
Davis was in control now.  He wouldn't let himself sink into the darkness again.  He would maintain control.  
  
But how?  
  
The secret of his killings was out.  
  
 _And wrong..._ a small part of him still whispered.  
  
That left only one option.  
  
Chloe.


	96. Chapter 96

Groceries.  
  
She went and bought groceries at a 24-hour store in Metropolis after working late at Isis.  
  
It was such an everyday chore that she felt better for it.  It also delayed her return to that dark and empty apartment just a little longer.  
  
The Talon was closed by the time she got back, so the sound of metal clattering stopped her in her tracks.  The sound had come from...the basement?  
  
She deposited the bag of groceries on an empty cafe table and moved toward the basement door, wondering who could possibly be down there this late.  Ever since the cafe moved to using a laundry service, no one but her ever went down there.  
  
When she opened the door and started making her way down the stairs, she heard the sounds again.  Someone was definitely down there.  
  
As she moved further into the room, she saw that someone had been living down here.  A cot and bedding had been set up, complete with reading light.  A round table was arranged neatly with a chair and some glasses.  
  
A gray hoodie rested over the back of the chair, like someone had just stepped away.  
  
That looked like...Davis' hoodie.  
  
"Don't be afraid."  
  
She spun around at the sound of his voice.  
  
Then there he was.  Davis moved from behind a shelf of old film tins, as pale and whole and beautiful as ever.  
  
Her eyes couldn't believe what they saw.  It certainly looked like him, right down to the dark clothes he favored.  
  
But Davis was dead.  She had killed him herself.  
  
She didn't dare blink as he moved closer, afraid if her eyes lost him for a moment, he would disappear like some sort of phantom.  
  
"You're alive."  
  
The words came from her tonelessly.  Stated fact, because then she wouldn't have to believe.  The words just were.  No belief required.  
  
Finally the words hit her brain.  "The meteor rocks didn't --" Her eyes burned, so she blinked.  He was still there.  
  
"They made me stronger."  His words were just another stated fact, but she saw him swallow hard.  Remembered pain?  Regret?  
  
"So are you now...invulnerable?"  Her words ended...hopeful.  No, that was wrong.  She shouldn't be happy about that.  That meant he was still a threat.  
  
But it also meant he was really here.  He was alive.  
  
She quickly pushed the well of emotion down.  
  
He moved closer, his expression complicated.  "I'm immortal."  
  
 _Immortal._  
  
That was a word normally associated with gods, not men she had slept with.  
  
Or monsters.  
  
Monsters were supposed to stay slain.  
  
"Then that means Clark's in danger. No matter what you want as Davis, the other side of you will still try and kill him."  She walked around him, very careful not to touch him.  If she touched him...he would be real.  He would be Davis, not the monster.  She walked past him without looking back, towards the stairs.  
  
 _Focus on Clark.  Focus on Clark.  Clark is in danger._  
  
"I won't kill Clark if I'm with you!" he called out to her.  
  
She stopped in her tracks.  "What?"  She spun around.  "What do I have to do with any of this?"  She no longer had any powers.  She was just a girl.  She wasn't a hero.  She had no power over monsters.  
  
"There is something about being around you that seems to calm the murderer inside me."  
  
 _Murderer._ Davis was a murderer.  She had to remember that.  
  
"But you said so yourself -- it's your true nature."  _Don't fall into the trap again, don't let yourself fall for him.  Remember who he is.  Remember **what** he is._  
  
Monster, not man.  
  
"But maybe there's something stronger out there than my need to kill."  
  
 _His need to kill.  Remember who he is._  
  
God, he looked so lost, so torn.  
  
"Will you stay with me?"  
  
A thousand thoughts and emotions fought within her.  
  
Davis was alive.  The Monster was alive.  Clark was in danger.  She could protect him.  Davis needed her.  Davis was a danger.  Doomsday.  Clark.  
  
Davis.  
  
Her eyes went to the stairs.  Escape?  Or haven?  
  
Her eyes went back to his.  He didn't say anything, just looked at her pleadingly.  The decision was hers.  
  
She felt a frisson of fear.  
  
So much rested on this moment.  
  
She climbed the stairs, feeling Davis' eyes follow her in silence.  
  
She stood before the door.  She could run.  Davis would let her go.  
  
But she couldn't let him go.  Not again.  
  
She shot the bolt home, locking them in together.


	97. Chapter 97

"OK, Davis.  Talk." Chloe made her way slowly back down the stairs.  "And this time, don't leave _anything_ out."  
  
Davis threaded one hand through his short hair and turned away from the stairs.  He moved across the room, and over to the unmade cot.   
  
Earlier, he had been reading there when he accidentally rattled the shelving behind the cot, causing a clatter.  Footsteps coming toward the basement sent him to hide in the stacks of old films.  When he saw it was Chloe, he had breathed a sigh of relief and revealed himself.  
  
Now he really wasn't sure what to say to her.  He had fallen asleep earlier wondering if he should even let her know he was alive.  He had done such terrible things and caused her so much pain...  
  
But how could he not tell her?  He needed to stay by her to control the monster.  Had he thought he could just lurk indefinitely?  
  
No, that wasn't reasonable.  Sooner or later she would have come down here and found him.  He had just been trying to buy more time to figure out what to say, what to do.  
  
Well, against all reason, she had agreed to stay with him.  She had a right to know all of it.  
  
He sat down on the cot, leaving room next to himself in case she wanted to sit as well.  She followed him deeper into his lair, but remained standing.  
  
Letting out a deep breath, he started.  "I told you most of what happened in the fortress before, but not all.  Well, when that brain thing took you over, it told me about how it used a --"  He paused, thinking about the exact words.  "A program to draw us together."  Now he smiled wryly.  "What I don't think it anticipated -- what it couldn't have anticipated -- was the human aspect."  
  
He looked up at her, making sure he held her eyes for his next words.  "It couldn't have guessed at the strength of human emotion.  Couldn't know about love and the strength it can give us."  
  
Davis saw something in Chloe's blank face soften slightly.  It was minimal, but it was there.  He guessed she was trying to stay objective.  Their time together had been so short, but he had studied her littlest tell.  
  
He squelched at his own mental "had been" describing their relationship.  She didn't need to say it for him to understand those heavenly days were over.  
  
He continued, "I told you in Isis that I loved you.  I do.  I think I've loved you since the first minute I saw you.  I know you don't feel the same, especially now, and I know that you never could."  He took a steadying breath.  "But when I should have been lost, I wasn't.  Because of you.  Because of how I feel about you."  
  
Her expression was puzzled.  "I'm not sure I'm following.  What do you mean?  What did I do?"  
  
He shook his head.  "It wasn't anything you did.  It was what you gave _me_ the strength to do.  I was able to fight the monster inside me because of you."  
  
He told her about the training in the fortress and how he had protected her.  How he built his own world, sealing the monster.  
  
He told her about that night in the alley -- how he was lost to the monster, until she had touched him.  
  
He told her about making this hideout in The Talon to be close to her, to hold back the monster -- and stop the killings.  
  
"But why?" she asked.  "Why does it work?"  
  
He shook his head.  "I'm not really sure.  All I know is if I can stay strong, stay in control, I can sometimes keep the monster in check.  And nothing makes me more, well _\-- **ME** \--_ than you.  Otherwise the monster comes out and I have find...other ways to sate it."  
  
"The killings," she said flatly.  
  
He nodded.  "The killings."  
  


* * *

  
  
When Chloe finally left the basement, her thoughts tumbled together, over, and around, often contradicting themselves.  
  
He was a killer and a monster.  He was a good man and her...friend, and he was doing the best he could in an impossible situation.  
  
He was Doomsday and wanted to destroy Clark.  He was Davis and he loved her.  
  
Doomsday wanted to destroy the world.  
  
Davis wanted to save it.  
  
She shook her head, trying to clear it.  It was all so tangled.  She had to focus on what was important now.  
  
She knew she had to make some decisions about how best to protect Davis.  She was clear on that much, because keeping Davis in control was the only way to contain Doomsday.  
  
And containing Doomsday was the most important task in the world.  
  
For starters, she needed to seriously limit the number of drop-by visitors to The Talon.  Davis couldn't stay in the basement 24/7.  For starters, there wasn't a bathroom down there.  Or food.  She would have to sneak him up to the apartment from time to time.  Probably late at night.  
  
Actually, her new job as Watchtower might help there.  She expected if she told Clark about Watchtower, he wouldn't stop by the apartment as much.  He would likely throw a protective fit, because he didn't really approve of Oliver's tactics, but it would be worth it.  
  
Protecting Davis would be worth most anything.  
  
She purposely pushed the heated days they had been more than just friends from her mind.  That would just complicate matters.  He wasn't really the man she had known during that brief, wonderful time.  It may not be his fault, and the man in him may be appalled by what he had done, but that couldn't change things.  The man keeping Doomsday in check had proven remarkably strong, but still a human heart was a fragile thing.  She couldn't risk breaking it.  Davis' life, Clark's life, and the whole world depended on it.  
  
So she would lie.  She would lie to Clark and tell him that all her nights were spent as Watchtower.  She would lie to Lois and tell her that she was having money problems in the wake of her divorce, and had taken a second job.   
  
At least she no longer had to lie to Jimmy.  
  
 _Lastly, she would lie to herself that she was only doing all this for the greater good..._  
  
All of a sudden, an absurd thought struck her and she let out a wry laugh.  
  
She had been sleeping with a Kryptonian.  All those years of lusting after Clark and his beautiful, perfect body and she had finally bedded a man that was his equal.  She should have guessed that another such perfect specimen must be an alien.  Her limited experience with Jimmy, hadn't held a candle to what sex had been like with Davis.  She wondered if that was because he was a Kryptonian, or if...  
  
She hesitated at the thought, then shook her head to clear it.  None of that mattered anymore.  
  
Keeping Davis safe and in control was what mattered now.  He had accepted her backtracking on their relationship with remarkable grace.  He seemed to understand that she needed boundaries.  It was much too hard to think of Davis as a monster, when she was shuddering around him.  She stopped on the stairs to her apartment as a wave of unadulterated lust swept over her.  For a long moment, the remembered feel of his velvet over steel moving in her blotted out everything else that had happened since.  
  
It took her much too long to push the feeling back down.  When she finally did manage to pull herself together, Chloe thought --  _No, this was not going to be easy at all._


	98. Chapter 98

Balancing having an alien killer in her basement, Watchtower, Isis, and her friends was proving more complicated than she ever would have imagined.  So why was she wasting time touching up her makeup at Isis before heading home?  She tried to tell herself it had nothing to do with seeing Davis when she got there.  
  
Nope, nothing at all.  She always tried to look nice.  So what did it prove if she was choosing her prettiest tops and putting a little extra va-va-voom into her makeup?  How she looked was the one thing she still seemed to have control over in her mad world.  
  
She still had her weekly round-tables with the Isis clients, but knew she was falling behind on all the other elements of the enterprise.  Enrollment in the program was dropping off drastically, but she didn't have the time to correct the slide.  
  
Oliver was on a mission in Syria, but needed a large amount of intel translated.  Normally, she would do all the work in the back room of Isis, but Davis needed her.  He tried not to be a burden, but the truth was it was only his connection with her that kept Doomsday in check.  So she was taking the work home at night.  She tried not to think about the insanity of working hero missions while sitting across from an alien menace.  
  
Of course, Lois didn't know about either Watchtower or Davis.  In her typical style, Lois had enjoyed a few drinks after work before heading out to the Press Society's event.  She had been expecting to have enough time to sober up at the event, but instead, she was turned away at the door.  Unable to drive, Lois had called Chloe at Isis for a lift.  Normally, Chloe would be pleased at her cousin's responsible actions, but now the timing was terrible.  She had to get back to Davis.  However, she couldn't say no without an explanation she wasn't prepared to give.  So Chloe grabbed the laptop full of translations, called Davis and told him about her planned detour, and headed out.  She threw the laptop bag on the backseat of her car and headed over to Lois' location.  
  
Then everything went wrong.  
  
She was mugged and knocked unconscious.  Her car, and more importantly, the laptop full of Watchtower material in the back, were stolen.

* * *

  
  
_Chloe was late.  Very late._  
  
She had called from Isis hours ago.  She should have been home by now.  
  
The worry was starting to eat at Davis.  He found himself nervously fingering his talismans -- a photo of Chloe he had taken of her while she slept at his apartment, and a few strands of her hair, left behind on the pillow.  He should ask her for more things of hers, but he knew it felt...creepy.  He was already the monster living in her basement.  
  
Maybe he should ask for a computer instead.  Then he could see her online and not seem...stalkery.  
  
A slightly mad laugh sprung from his lips.  He was an alien destroyer, a killer, and a damned soul, but he was worried about being seen as something as relatively mild as a stalker ex.  
  
He looked at the clock for the hundredth time that hour.  
  
Where was she?  If anything had happened to her...  He felt that wrongness wriggle in the back of his mind.  He quickly cut off that train of thought and focused on the plans he and Chloe had for tonight.  They were going to make dinner.  Or, more accurately, he was going to make dinner and she was going to work on some project.  It was all very domestic.  He liked it.  He would have liked it more if it was by choice, and not because it was the only way to keep Doomsday contained, but he tried not to focus on that.  He was learning to focus on the _now_.  When he looked back, things got...ugly.  
  
So he would think about tonight.  
  
Yep, as soon as she got home, they'd have a nice evening.  A _friendly_ evening.  Yup, friendly.  He wouldn't lift her onto the counter and...  
  
 _No.  Don't go there.  That was over now.  
  
Pretend it didn't happen.  Pretend you don't know..._  
  
He groaned then looked at the clock again.  
  
 _Where was she?_  
  
He called her again.  
  
Finally she answered.  
  
"Davis."  She sounded rushed, slightly out of breath.  
  
"Chloe!  Are you ok?  Where have you been?  I've been worried."  
  
"I know, Davis. I was sidetracked. I'll be home in like 20 minutes. You're still in the basement, right?"  Her voice was anxious.  
  
"Yes, of course I am."  
  
"Good."  
  
Then she was gone.  
  
 _What the hell had happened?_  
  


* * *

  
  
_Davis was still in control.  Thank God._  
  
At least that hadn't blown up in her face like the loss of the laptop.  
  
But she needed to get to The Talon asap.  
  
She heard Clark behind her and turned at her name.  "Is this what it takes to get a call back from you these days? Are you okay?"  
  
 _Oh, Clark, I am nowhere near ok.  I wish I could tell you why, but I can't..._  
  
Well, at least she could tell him about the laptop and Watchtower even if if did earn her a well-deserved lecture.

* * *

  
  
Chloe made if back to The Talon from Met Gen in record time.  
  
"Davis!" she cried as she entered the front door.  The door to the basement opened immediately.  He must have been waiting just on the other side for her.  
  
He rushed towards her and grabbed her shoulders gently, looking her over.  "Chloe, what happened?"  
  
"Nothing, nothing.  I'm fine," she assured him quickly.  
  
He caught sight of the swelling on her head where she had been hit.  His demeanor immediately changed.  She recognized it as his EMT mode.  He carefully examined the knot with gentle fingers.  "That doesn't look like nothing, Chloe.  Tell me."  
  
It was strange, but this was so much more like the Davis she knew that she found herself relaxing.  All the tension faded away.  This wasn't the haunted stranger lurking in the shadows.  This was her friend, the heroic EMT that tried to help street kids.  
  
"I was mugged."  
  
His eyes left the wound and caught hers.  "What?"  
  
"I was mugged when I went to pick up Lois, and they knocked me out.  Lois took me to the hospital, but then they wouldn't give me back my phone or let me go."  
  
Davis nodded and tilted her face upwards so it better caught the light.  He seemed to be watching her eyes.  Part of his exam?  "That is standard procedure for headwounds.  Any weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination?  Did they want you to stay overnight for observation?"  
  
"No, none of that, but yes, they wanted me to stay.  I left against advice, but I knew I had to come back here."  
  
Davis smiled that wonderful quirky half-smile of his.  His brown eyes were warm and inviting.  He seemed to have finished the exam, but hadn't removed his hands from her face. "Well, I guess it is a good thing you have a trained EMT here to keep an eye on you."  
  
Her heartbeat picked up.  Now he was the sexy, flirty man that had kept her in bed for almost a week straight.  
  
They both felt the atmosphere heat.  Neither moved for a long moment.  Finally, it was Davis that dropped his hands and turned away.  He cleared his throat, breaking the spell.  "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving."  
  
She found herself smiling.  It had been a busy, rotten day all told, but...this was nice.  "Me too."  
  
"Well, let's head up.  I figured on chicken Marsala tonight.  Work for you?"  
  
She was still smiling.  "That sounds great."  
  
While Davis cooked, she would use her old laptop to try to run down this "Stiletto" person Lois was talking about.  
  


* * *

  
  
_She was ok.  Chloe was ok._  
  
Davis repeated the words to himself over and over as he climbed up to Chloe's apartment, trying not to let her see the fear her words had caused.  Someone had _**attacked Chloe.**_ Someone had gone after the only thing in the world that kept him in control, and he had been helpless.  In fact, he hadn't even known.  
  
 _Never again._  
  
How could he make sure it never happened again?  
  
He would have to think on that.  
  
For now he would take care of her.  Watch over her.  
  
He thought of that unexpected moment of heat downstairs.  He had broken away first for her sake.  He saw Chloe was trying so hard to manage some kind of control over the situation, and part of that was setting these walls between them.  
  
She was friend.  Guardian.  Lifeline.  
  
Not lover.  Not anymore.  
  
A growl rose in his throat, but it wasn't The Beast.  It was from him.  
  
Davis felt like he was fighting a battle on too many fronts.  Fighting Doomsday, fighting himself, fighting the haunting madness...fighting Chloe.  
  
Eventually something was going to have to give.  
  
He just wasn't sure what that would be.  
  
But God, he wanted her so badly.  Especially now.  A part of him wouldn't really believe she was whole and intact until he had explored every inch of her.  Then buried himself in her, claiming her as his.  No one would dare go after her then.  
  
Or they would have to deal with his ugly side.


	99. Chapter 99

No leads on Stiletto.  
  
Chloe was seated at the table with her old laptop open before her, searching for any sign of the new Superheroine.  Nothing.  Not even a blip on the message boards.  She wondered if more leads would show up after Lois published her story.  
  
It certainly didn't help that her old laptop was limping along on a browser at least 3 years out of date.  She wasn't sure if it could run anything better.  
  
 _This just sucked._ She growled in frustration.  
  
Davis looked up from where he was washing up their dinner dishes.  "What's wrong?"  
  
She took a large swig of coffee before replying.  "No leads on my laptop, and it had client information on it."  
  
Which was true, though it was really her Watchtower work that had panic flaring in her stomach.  
  
"That's not good."  
  
 _Understatement there..._  
  
"Nope," she replied, aggravation plain.  
  
God, she was so tired.  
  
She heard the water shut off and glanced over to see Davis drying his hands.  "Want me to search for a while?  I know I'm not the tech wiz you are, but that laptop looks like something a grandma could figure out."  He quirked a smile.  "Besides, it'll give me something to do."  
  
 _Crap._ Chloe knew it wasn't meant as a complaint, but Davis must be bored down in the basement all day.  She rubbed her tired eyes.  "Yeah, sure.  I'm not having any luck."  
  
"I could look when you go to work tomorrow as well, if you want..." Davis offered.  
  
She shook her head.  "No.  Won't work.  You won't get a signal down there."  Getting up from the table, she yielded her chair to Davis.  Davis began typing on the laptop.  "But I'll see if I can start pulling together some things to keep you busy down there."  
  


* * *

  
  
The next day, on the much faster Isis computers, Chloe still had no leads on Stiletto.  She would have to rely on Clark and his powers to track down the heroine.  
  
Too bad Blur-etto hadn't gotten the reaction she had hoped for from him.  She thought a lady "cape" would perk up some more...interest from him.  A new love might distract him from her own disappearing act.  
  
She finally had to call it quits and head back to The Talon.  
  
Davis was waiting.

* * *

  
  
Chloe dropped off her things in her apartment and grabbed a glass of water.  She was tromping down from her apartment down to the main level of The Talon, when someone grabbed her.  Her glass of water shattered echoingly on the floor.

* * *

  
  
Davis heard the front door of The Talon open and footsteps tromp up the stairs.  Chloe was finally home.  He smiled to himself.  He already felt the darkness being pushed away, but he wanted to observe the formalities.  He would wait for her to come down to him.  
  
A few minutes later, he heard the same footsteps heading back down again.  He closed the yearbook, waiting for her knock at the basement door.  
  
It never came.  
  
Instead he heard a crash of glass.  Davis was instantly on his feet and at the top of the steps, listening.  
  
Voices.  Then Chloe's voice, louder -- "Let me go!"  The basement door rattled.  "No! Ugh!"  
  
Davis opened the door slightly.  What he saw made his heart stop.  
  
A man had Chloe pinned against the opposite wall with a knife to her throat.  
  
His vision went red instantly and he didn't make a sound as the mad laughter returned to swirl around his head.  This... _thug_ thought he had the upper hand.  He thought he held all the power because of his brawn and his blade.  He thought those things gave him a right to invade their home and attack Davis' love.  
  
It was time he learned just how wrong he was.  This Beauty had her own Beast.  Davis slipped back, inviting Doomsday to take over, as the insane laughter again followed him down into darkness  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe knew she was in shock.  Intellectually, she knew that Davis and Doomsday were one and the the same, but part of her hadn't really accepted it.  She had seen the monster when it kidnapped her.  She had seen its red eyes and heard its voice coming through Davis at the lab.  
  
But a small part of her still thought it wasn't true.  Couldn't be true...didn't _want_ it to be true.  
  
That was until she saw the creature open the basement door with a still-human hand and seize the thug.  For just a moment, she caught Doomsday's red eyes.  There was nothing of Davis in that look, but the it still wore shreds of his clothes.  Breaking her gaze, it adjusted its now-clawed grip to wrap around the fallen thug's ankle.  It dragged the screaming man down into the basement, leaving her alone and unmolested.  It was at that moment, when she was "safe" that she really accepted the truth.  
  
Davis was The Beast.  
  
She stood where she was and listened to the horrible scream cut short with a roar and a wet _squelch._ More horrible...meaty sounds came from behind the closed door.  She stared as a pool of blood began to seep under the basement doorway.  
  
She thought she may be sick.  
  
She was completely over her head here.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe didn't know how long she stood there staring at glistening dark puddle oozing out from under the gray metal of the closed basement door.  She stood there long past the last...sounds.  
  
She jumped when she heard Davis' quiet voice on the other side of the closed door.  
  
"Chloe?" he asked tentatively.  
  
She cleared her throat.  "Yes, Davis?  I'm here."  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
She swallowed convulsively.  Was she ok?  No.  She felt like she would never be anything as mild as "ok" ever again.  She swallowed once more, hoping to make her voice sound normal.  
  
"I'm fine, Davis."  
  
The door opened just a tiny crack.  A single worried brown eye was visible in that crack.  
  
As was the blood all around that eye.  
  
She felt his gaze sweep over her, and she couldn't restrain a shiver of...what?  Fear?  Dread?  Something...else?  
  
"You're bleeding," he told her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your neck.  It's bleeding."  
  
Her hand flashed to her neck.  When she pulled it back, there was indeed blood on her fingers.  She stared at it, transfixed.  "Oh, I guess he must have...cut me.  Before you...you..."  She swallowed, unable to continue.  
  
She felt him looking her over, searching for more wounds.  After a moment, he must have concluded that was the only damage to her.  "Chloe, why don't you go up and take care of that?  I need to...clean up down here.  I'll come up when it's all done."  
  
She shuffled from foot to foot, trying not to bolt.  She suddenly and desperately wanting to be in her snug apartment.  "Do you...need anything, Davis?"  
  
"No.  I have cleaning supplies and bags down here.  I'll need a shower, but I'll do that...after."  
  
"Ok."  Chloe turned and fled upstairs, with the sound of the basement door closing seeming to echo behind her.  
  
  



	100. Chapter 100

The cut on her neck wasn't too bad.  She thought she could hide the wound with a scarf.  She grabbed one and hung it loosely around her neck, before moving to the mirror.  She began gently dabbing at the blood from the cut on her neck.  
  
She didn't start when the apartment door opened, assuming it was Davis.  
  
It wasn't.  It was Lois.  
  
Quickly, she wrapped the scarf around her throat, hiding the cut.  
  
"Hello to you, too. Expecting Freddy Krueger?" Lois asked.  
  
 _Lois, you have no idea._  
  
Chloe didn't know what her cousin needed, but she had to clear her out ASAP.  She couldn't have Lois stumbling over Davis.  Chloe did her best to shuffle her cousin out, but stopped when Lois admitted to being Stiletto.  Chloe was struck silent when Lois said, "I get it.  I messed up.  You've never gotten in over your head?"  
  
 _Oh, yes, Lois.  Yes, I have._  
  
Chloe felt a desperate need to confide in someone, and Lois was always there for her.  "Actually, Lois, um... ...can I tell you something?"  
  
"Sure," Lois replied simply.  
  
Then it suddenly hit Chloe.  What exactly would she tell Lois?  She couldn't very well say, _"A thug was just torn limb from limb 2 floors down by a dead murderer with an alien destroyer inside him..."_  
  
Telling Lois, telling anyone -- even Clark -- would just put them all in danger.  Davis' hold on Doomsday was so tenuous.  The monster could take over in seconds and destroy anything in its path.  
  
Like it had tonight.  
  
Except the next time it got loose, it might be someone she loved that was torn apart.  
  
So instead, Chloe deferred, pointing Lois towards Jimmy.  
  
Jimmy.  How had it become Lois going off to find him?  
  
When had everything gone so topsy-turvy?  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe didn't know how long it was after Lois left when a knock came on the apartment door.  
  
A knock.  That had to be Davis.  No one else ever knocked.  
  
"Come in," she called out.  
  
Davis came in and closed the door behind.  Chloe looked him over carefully.  He had clearly taken pains to clean up most of the obvious...mess on his body, but his hair shone with an unnatural wetness.  A smear of blood peeked from beneath his black t-shirt collar.  She turned her head away, fighting back a wave of nausea at the sight of the blood on him.  
  
She swallowed hard a few times before speaking.  "Towels are in the bathroom.  I put out a new bar of soap too."  She paused, then continued.  "Is everything...done down there?"  Her voice rose hopefully.  
  
He didn't meet her eyes as he moved towards the bathroom.  "Yes.  I just need to take out the trashbags.  I didn't want to do that until after I showered though.  I didn't want to leave any...trails."  
  
She understood immediately.  There has been so much blood on him, that Davis feared it dripping and leaving a trail.  
  
"I'll take care of it after I've washed,"  he told her, then closed the bathroom door quietly.  
  
Chloe stood where she was a long moment, listening to Davis move around the bathroom.  She heard the squeak of a knob, followed immediately by the sound of pouring water.  She heard the curtain rings chime as they slid open and closed as Davis climbed into the tub.  
  
If this was just a few short weeks ago, she would have climbed in with him.  
  
Now that might as well be another lifetime ago.  
  
A quick memory of his beautifully pale, sculpted nudity running with water flashed into her mind.  In the memory, he saw her looking and flashed that wonderful smile, inviting her in.  
  
But the memory twisted.  The water running over his gorgeous body was now red.  
  
Davis was still smiling.  
  
 _No!_  
  
The corrupted thought sent her fleeing the apartment.  She had to get away from the temptation, the blood, the... _wrongness_ of it all.  
  
Davis had said something about needing to take out the trashbags.  She could do it.  She felt like she should in some way clean up the mess she had made.  There may not be anything she could do to fix the twisted situation, but at least she could help clean up...the corpse.  
  
There were two bags sitting on the landing just inside the basement door.  
  
That was all.  Two trashbags were all that was left of the thug.  She didn't want to think how exactly that could happen.  They squished and crinkled when she picked them up.  They weren't even heavy.  Chloe looked down into the basement.  The shelves, furnishings, floor, and walls all appeared to be wet.  Davis must have washed them all down.  It was a huge amount of area.  Had Davis done the cleaning at super-speed?  
  
 _Why did that matter?_  
  
She shook her head.  She knew what she was doing.  Trying to divert her thoughts.  Trying not to think about the 200 pound man that now fit easily into two trashbags she could carry effortlessly.  
  
Steeling herself, Chloe carried the bags out through The Talon and out the alley door.  She opened the dumpster lid and threw the bags in.  
  
Then she saw the blood on her hands from the bags.


	101. Chapter 101

Davis found Chloe crying in the alley.  She was staring at the blood on her hands.

He knew exactly how she felt.  After each tragic change he felt the same way.  
  
 _Unclean._  
  
He felt his heart breaking for her.  Guilt swelled to twin the pain.  He had brought this agony to her.  This was his fault.  Because she was helping him.  
  
Because she cared for him.  
  
He wasn't willing to delude himself so far as to think she loved him, but she definitely cared.  No one would go through all this otherwise.  No one _could._  
  
But tonight she was forced to confront the evil within him face-to-face.  He had allowed the curtain of his humanity to be ripped aside to reveal the monster within.  He had given himself over to The Beast willingly to save her, but she had not come through the experience unscathed.  He had broken something between them by doing so.  
  
Crouching down next to her, he gently took her into his arms.  She continued to cry and hold her bloody hands out away from their bodies.  Tucking his chin over her head, he cradled her as he stood.  He carried her back into the now-clean Talon.  
  
Her sobs eased slightly upon seeing everything in the coffee shop looking exactly as it always did.  The bloodstain was gone from under the basement door.  
  
He smiled sardonically.  On the one hand, his Kryptonian heritage turned him into The Beast that wrecked so much damage and pain.  One the other, it gave him the strength and speed to put things to rights again quickly.  Glancing at the girl in his arms, he amended that thought.  He could fix the _physical_ damage quickly.  
  
He carried her up the steps and into the apartment.  Walking into the bathroom, he gently set her on her feet so he could start the water running.  When the water had reached a nice temperature, he spun the knob to send the water up to the shower head.  Turning to Chloe, he gently pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear."You'll feel better after a shower, Chloe.  I'll be outside if you need me."  He softly kissed her forehead and left the bathroom, gently closing the door behind.  He pressed his ear to the door to listen for sounds that she was obeying.  He heard the rustle of clothes being removed and the slide of the shower curtain rings.  Nodding to himself, he went into the living room and built up the fire.  
  
Nearly twenty minutes passed and Davis heard no further sounds from the bathroom.  He gently rapped on the door with his knuckles.  "Chloe?"  
  
A desolate sob reached him and he swung open the door.  The shower curtain was still open and water was pouring onto the floor.  Chloe was huddled in the fetal position at one end of the tub, naked and sobbing.  Without hesitation, he pulled a towel from the rung and climbed into the tub behind her.  Wrapping the towel around her like a blanket, he held her like a child as she sobbed and the water poured over them both.  
  
It was a long time coming, but the sobs slowly tapered to tears, then hiccups, and eventually silence.  He thought she may have fallen asleep.  He just kept holding her as the water beat down on them, not willing to move until she was ready, even if it was all night.  
  
When she finally spoke, it was in a voice that sounded almost normal.  
  
"I'm wet."  
  
He had to stifle a rueful laugh.  She had been sitting in the shower for nearly forty five minutes.  Wet was an understatement.  
  
She shivered.  "And cold."  
  
He smiled again there too.  The water was still warm, but the porcelain of the tub must be leeching the heat from her.  They were lucky the hot water was shared with The Talon or it would have run out ages ago.  
  
Standing with her still covered by the sodden towel, he helped Chloe up.  He turned off the water.  Carefully stepping out of the tub with Chloe still in his arms, he snagged a robe of the back of the door.  
  
Looking at her and then the robe, he realized he would have to let her go to get her into the robe.  
  
With a bit of her old spirit back, Chloe smiled at him.  "It's OK.  I can do it."  
  
She was so incredibly resilient, his Chloe.  
  
Not quite ready to leave her yet, Davis turned to face the door while she changed.  He heard the sodden _thump_ of the towel hitting the floor.  He winced.  He would have to come back and dry out the bathroom.  He heard a cabinet open and glanced over his shoulder to see what she was doing.  He saw a tantalizing glimpse of bare hip and thigh not blocked by the cabinet door.  An edge of toweling appeared.  Good thinking -- she was grabbing a new towel to replace the sodden one before donning the robe.  Not wanting to be caught peeking, he faced the door again.  He heard the brisk toweling, and then the rattle of the rack as she hung up the towel.  He felt the robe being taken from his arm.  Giving her enough time to don it, he turned to look at her.  Her expression showed her determination to keep it together, but her eyes were haunted.  
  
He reached out a hand and she numbly to took it.  He guided her to the couch by the fire and tucked her in with a blanket.  Bustling over to the kitchen, he made her a cup of hot tea.  She watched him as he moved around her tiny kitchen.  He shifted uncomfortably.  
  
What do you say to the woman that just saw you turn into a Beast and rip a guy limb from limb?  
  
"I just wanted to protect you," he burst out, though his voice was quiet so as not to startle her.  
  
"I know, Davis.  It was just so... horrible."  Her voice choked on the last word and he saw a pair of crystalline tears spill from her eyes again.  
  
 _Dammit!_ He had said the wrong thing.  Though he wasn't sure there was a right thing to say.  
  
Leaving the tea steeping on the counter, he moved across the room and sat upon the couch next to her.  He slowly pulled her onto his lap and wrapped protective arms around her.  She let him.  After a long, tense moment, she relaxed.  She leaned back into him, seeking warmth and comfort.  
  
How twisted it was that she would seek comfort from the very man that brought all these horrors down onto her head in the first place.  
  
Was there something he could do that would help her?  Something to help her forget for just a little while all the pain he put her through?  
  
Maybe.  If she let him.  
  
"Chloe."  
  
Her tears had stopped, but she still clung to him.  She was drawing little patterns with her finger across his clinging wet shirt.  It was only then that he realized that his own clothes were still soaking wet from the shower.  
  
She hiccuped.  "Yeah?"  
  
"I can help you feel better.  Help you forget."  
  
Her eyes were red and puffy and filled with a deep pain.  "How?"  
  
In reply, he reached down and slowly undid the sash of her robe.


	102. Interlude 10

Davis reached down and slowly undid the sash of her robe.  Chloe's eyes flashed up to his in startlement, but she didn't resist.  
  
Holding her surprised gaze, he slowly parted the robe, exposing a narrow band of flesh.  The line of bare skin started at her neck, running between her breasts, then down to where the material was twisted across one hip.  He ran a finger gently down along that line of perfect skin.  His body was hard and insistent, but he ignored it.  
  
She swallowed visibly.  Her eyes were wide and still shining.  "Davis, I don't think--"  
  
He had damaged something between them tonight by allowing the monster to use him.  Thinking on it now, he realized he could have attacked the thug as a man.  He could have even done so by tapping Doomsday for power, but kept his human self intact.  
  
He hadn't done that though.  When he had seen that man lay violent hands on Chloe, he had instead let the howling madness of The Beast take over.  He had wanted the man _destroyed_ , and that was what Doomsday did.  
  
He had given in to his very darkest impulses without a second thought and damaged something in her by making her a part of it.  He had to attempt to repair that break.  He had to remind her he was a man too and not just a monster.  He placed his other finger over her lips.  "Please Chloe, let me do this for you.  Let me remind you that not everything is blood, and pain, and death.  There is warmth, and joy, and fireworks.  Let me do this for you."  
  
Removing his finger from her lips, he paused -- both his words and his gentle touch.  "And maybe I need to do it for me too.  Maybe I need to know that I can still do something good.  Even if it is just this for you."  
  
Her eyes filled with tears again, but he thought this time they might be for him.  The haunted look was finally fading from her eyes.  He felt that for the first time this horrible night, she may be actually seeing him -- _Davis --_ again and not just the shell holding the monster.  
  
"Oh Davis, you are good.  I see it.  You are in an impossible position, but you still try."  
  
She placed a small hand to his cheek and smiled gently.  
  
Davis held her gaze for a long moment, searching her eyes.  What he saw there took his breath away.  She really believed what she said.  She may not love him, may never really forgive him, but she knew he was _trying._ There were no words for what he felt, so instead he chose actions.  He slowly lowered his face to hers.  He wasn't sure if she would let him kiss her or not, she had been so insistent on reinforcing exactly where the "Do Not Cross" line was between them.  So he gave her plenty of time to say no.  With one last flick of his eyes to hers, her slowly pressed his lips to hers.  It was soft and gentle and tentative.  Just lips pressed to lips, no more.  It went that way for long moments as they reacquainted themselves with the feel of each other's lips.  
  
It may have started softly, but as it always had for them, passion quickly rose to the surface.  
  
Covering her mouth with his, Davis tried to put every last bit of his love, his thanks, his need and joy for her into his kiss.  Kissing Chloe was the sum or everything important that was left in his world.  She drank it up like she was dying of thirst and he was a pool of clear water.  
  
His hand moved to further part her robe, and even though it was warm here near the fire, she shivered.  He ran his hand along her beautiful smooth skin.  He was torn between wanting to see her body, and not wanting to part from her lips.  So instead he focused for clues as to what _she_ wanted.  This was about her, not him.  
  
Her responsive body would tell him what she needed.  
  
Running his hand back up along her body, he pushed the robe aside until he could feel an exposed breast.  He gently cupped it in his hand, feelings the fullness and weight of it.  She moaned against his mouth.  She had the most beautiful breasts, and they fit his hand so perfectly.  He grazed his thumb over the sensitive nipple and she moaned again.  That was all the clue he required.  He alternated drawing circles around the sensitive bud and gentle brushes across it.  She began to squirm as heat built within her.  She begged for more with a sigh of his name.  
  
"Davis..."  
  
There was nothing in the world as sexy as Chloe saying his name with need in her voice.  His cock pressed insistently against the clammy fabric of his wet clothes.  His body didn't care that this was about her, not him.  It didn't help that Chloe was squirming in his lap, causing tantalizing contact even through the wet material covering him.  
  
Pushing aside his own desires, Davis focused on Chloe.  He shifted his hand to run down over her side.  Seeing his direction, she parted her legs, exposing one bare thigh from the robe.  He ran his hand over the thigh and around to her inner leg.  The robe still tantalizingly covered the apex.  He ran his finger among the terrycloth edge.  The fabric was just barely covering her center.  
  
He remembered the feel of her and the taste of her from that heavenly week together.  It was never far from his mind.  Feeling her again, made his body was so hard it hurt.  Chloe shifted in his lap slightly and part of the robe slipped, exposing a bit of curl.  He realized then that they had stopped kissing, both caught up in the feel of their bodies against each other.  He took a moment to study Chloe's face.  Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted.  Her breathing was fast and uneven.  Everything about her screamed her desire.  
  
Watching her face, he pushed the robe aside, exposing her core.  She moaned and rolled her head back.  Still watching her, he moved his hand to cup her mound.  The soft curls teased around his palm and moisture seeped out onto his fingers.  She pressed her hips up into his hand.  
  
"Look at me, Chloe," he commanded.  
  
She opened dazed eyes to meet his.  
  
Holding her gaze, he slid one long, delicate finger into her.  Her eyes began to close again.  "No Chloe.  Look at me." Her eyes slowly opened again.  He slid the finger out of her slightly and sank it back in, but this time he curled the end so it hit the hidden spot deep inside her.  
  
Her sleepy eyes sprang open at the sensation.  "Oh my god..."  
  
Davis smiled, pleased.  God, she was so damn responsive.  It was unlikely she had ever been with anyone that truly knew what they were about except him.  He loved being the one that could give that to her.  Only him.  
  
He used his thumb to start flick across her clit, as his finger stroked the sensitive spot inside her. Her hips began thrusting upwards as she rode his hand.  Her rounded ass shifting around on his hardened cock almost made him come right through the clammy denim.  
  
He knew she was at the very edge, so he shifting the finger inside her slightly.  Then he scrapped the fingernail along that wonderful spot inside her.  
  
She let out a screech of release as her hips bucked wildly.  His hand was bathed in her wetness as she came.  He had to grit his teeth to hold himself back from taking his own pleasure.  He desperately wished to bury his throbbing cock in her quivering body, but this was about _her_.  He was the monster that had brought her so much pain, he didn't deserve pleasure.  _She_ did.  
  
So he would give her all the pleasure he could.  
  
As her shudders slowed, he  shifted his hand from inside her to cradling her hip.  Readjusting the other arm that had nearly gone dead with supporting her, her stood up from the couch with Chloe in his arms.  
  
"What? Where?" she asked hazily.  
  
"Bed.  I'm not done with you yet."  
  
"Oh. OK,"she said groggily.  
  
He smiled.  He knew that the sleepiness wouldn't last.  
  
Placing her on the bed, he gently removed her robe.  He paused, uncertain what to do with his own clothes.  They were clammy, but he didn't want to take any pleasure for himself.  He already received too much satisfaction in just touching her, watching her, making her come.  Removing his own clothes and feeling Chloe's skin on his would be exquisite.  He wasn't sure how to balance on the line.  
  
Chloe solved his moment of indecision.  She gently tugged on his wet shirt.  "This is cold and nasty.  Make it go away."  
  
He smiled.  He had his answer.  He also removed the jeans, though he kept the boxer briefs on.  They barely contained him as it was.  If his cock touched that beautiful skin of hers, he would be lost.  He would be plunging into her warm, wet depths no matter what promises he had made.  
  
He did allow himself the pain/pleasure of running his eyes over the vision before him though.  In her sated state, Chloe's skin glowed.  She was small, with beautifully formed with full hips and breasts.  Her waist was tiny, and her face...  God, her beautiful, expressive face with their green eyes seemed to pierce what was left of his soul.  
  
"God, Chloe.  You are so beautiful."  
  
She shifted uncomfortably.  "No I'm not, but it is sweet of you --"  
  
He cut her off.  Grasping her face in his hands, he looked deep into her eyes.  "You are beautiful."  He leaned in to kiss her.  He kissed her mouth, "Beautiful." Then her eyes "Beautiful." Then shifting down her body, he kissed her breast. "Beautiful". Then shifting down again, so his mouth hovered over her mound, he kissed the soft curls.  "Beautiful."  
  
"Davis, I --"  
  
He didn't know what she meant to say, but he cut it off by plunging his tongue into her hot, wet center.  
  
She cried out and her hips leapt of the bed.  He had been expected something like that given her need, so made sure he was clear of her bucking hips.  When she settled, panting, back onto the bed, he eased his way this time.  
  
Starting at the back of her slit, he shallowly ran his tongue up to the front where the sensitive bud was buried.  Using the softest of licks, he ran his tongue over the bud. Her hips twitched, but he was prepared.  He held her thighs, keeping her in place.  He ran his tongue back down along the slit, to her wet entrance.  He lapped at the opening, reveling in the warm, sunshine and woman taste of her.  It was even better than he remembered.  He began plunging his tongue into her, using its mobile firmness to fuck her.  He knew that he couldn't get the depth here to make here come.  He was just building her up, but judging from the way her hands were clenching and unclenching in his still-damp hair, it was working.  When she began making lost little noises, he knew he had to turn up the pressure.  Leaving the opening, he moved back up to the sensitive bud,  Without warning of his intention, he thrust his tongue out and began flicking across it fast.  Chloe cried out and bucked her hips.  Again he held her in place with his hands on her thighs and kept up the intense flicking.  He felt her beginning to crest, and switched to lapping strokes of his tongue interspersed with the intense flicking.  When her body began to shake, he knew she was at the edge of what she could stand.  He began the intense flicks, pressing hard into her clit.  As she went over the precipice, he plunged two fingers into her hot wet sheath.  
  
Her scream echoed around the room, and her hips moved wildly as she rode his tongue.  Wave after wave after wave of pleasure cresting over her.  She had to beg for him to stop and lay curled as the surges continued to pour over her, causing her entire body to shake.  
  
Davis was kneeling back on his heels watching her body convulse, his eyes molten.  His cock had worked out of his boxer briefs and was thrusting up into the sky.  A bead of moisture rolling from the tip.  
  
Finally coming back down, Chloe realized his state.  "Oh, Davis, you--"  
  
Leaning forward carefully so his aching cock didn't brush her flesh, he gave her a lingering kiss.  "It's OK Chloe.  This was for you."  
  
"But--"  
  
Pulling a blanket from the end of the bed, he draped it over her.  "Go to sleep Chloe.  I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Exhaustion finally got the better off her and she was asleep in seconds.  
  
Davis grasped his cock and put it back into the briefs, even though it was painfully sensitive.  Gathering up his clothes, he made his way down to his basement lair.  He spent a painful, sleepiness night waiting for his body to give up thoughts of Chloe.  The taste of her on his tongue made that impossible, but he couldn't bear to wash it away.  It was the only pleasure he would allow himself, because it had been her pleasure.  He didn't deserve pleasure for himself after what he had done in releasing the monster.  
  
It frightened him how easily he had let himself slip back into the role of lover.  When he saw how broken Chloe had been, her had to help her in the only way he could think of.  That was all.  
  
And it changed nothing between them.  
  
He told himself it was needed for her, not for him.  For that reason, he wouldn't even give himself the relief he so desperately needed.  It was his own form of penance.  
  
As he curled around his painfully swollen body, he wondered... _Was it wrong to pray for salvation of the body as well as the soul?_


	103. Chapter 103

Chloe woke panting.  Extremely vivid and disturbing visions of Davis falling apart in the morning light.  Dreams of lust and heat, blood and death. All mixed together.  
  
Then it all hit her.  They weren't just dreams.  It had happened.  All of it.

The monster had killed that thug -- torn him into shreds, truth be told.  Then she had broken down and allowed Davis to...comfort her.  
  
Could orgasms really be described as _comfort?_  
  
No, it was all too much.    Bury it.  Bury all of it.  That was the only way she could keep going without exploding from all the wrongness ( _and the rightness..._ a tiny part whispered) of everything that happened last night.  
  
When her legs finally felt steady, she climbed out of bed and retrieved her copy of The Daily Planet from her door.  The front page was splashed with a story about the mobsters that had stolen her computer being busted.  Reading on, she saw that "Stiletto" was credited with the arrest.  
  
 _Ah, that must have been Clark's doing._  
  
Her computer should be safe now.  
  
She glanced outside her window.  The sun was up and shining on a beautiful day.  She should head to Isis for a while and see about transferring and securing the backup files.  Hopefully, Clark would bring her computer there.  
  


* * *

  
  
Time.  Too much time.  That was what Davis had.  Too much time for his mind to spend running over and over the same dark circles.  
  
Davis lay on his cot and stared blankly up at the ceiling, listening idly to the sounds from the coffee shop above.  
  
He had killed again last night.  
  
So why didn't he feel worse about...the sacrifice?  
  
No, that wasn't right.  The thug hadn't been a _sacrifice._ He had been killed to protect Chloe, not for the monster.  So why did his mind insist on saying "sacrifice?"  
  
 _It was almost as if..._  
  
For the first time, Davis forced his mind to run back through the other deaths.  Other killings.  Many of them were just a wash of red, but he let them play out in his head.  As he did, he felt that horrible _wrongness_ in his mind swirl around the killings.  The sacrifices.  
  
No, wait.  That was wrong.  Murders!  NOT sacrifices!  Why did that word keep coming back?  
  
They were people.  People _he_ had killed.  They weren't _sacrifices_ , dammit!  They were living, breathing people.  
  
Or they had been until he took that from them.  
  
Suddenly, Davis shot up from his lounging position as the full realization hit him.  
  
Oh God.  What had he done?  How had he justified something so awful?  That touch of madness he had pushed away for so long dove deeper in his mind.  Into his soul.  
  
All of a sudden, the truth Davis him like a load of bricks.  
  
 _Doomsday._  
  
The madness he felt twitching around in the dark spots of his mind was Doomsday.  The force of Davis' will had been able to defeat the monster.  So the monster had to find a way to subvert that will.  It was doing that by very slowly eating away at Davis' self, working its way into his mind, around his defenses.  In time, it would destroy the part that was _Davis_ by eating him from within.  
  
Davis never would have expected the monster could be so subtle, but it made sense. That was the creature's nature.  When beaten, the monster came back able to conquer what defeated it before.  So Doomsday was destroying his soul, but carefully, slowly, so Davis wouldn't see what was happening.  So Davis wouldn't fight back.  
  
It was remarkable really.  
  
Working slowly so Davis wouldn't put up resistance, the Beast had started by chipping away at all the things that made Davis who he was.  Stripping Davis of his humanity.  
  
Davis was a healer, so Doomsday made him a killer.  Davis was reasonable and dedicated, so Doomsday oozed madness into his mind.  Davis had friends and causes he cared about, so Doomsday forced Davis to cut himself off from them.  
  
It all made terrible sense.  
  
But why had the madness gotten so much stronger after the meteor rock death?  
  
He stopped his pacing when another realization hit.  It wasn't the meteor rock death that had brought on the madness.  It was him giving up in the coffin.  It was him _welcoming_ Doomsday, that gave the wrongness that much-needed toehold.  
  
And that wasn't the only time.  He had stupidly given the monster free rein on his soul again last night.

* * *

  
  
Chloe picked up her ringing cell phone.  She really hoped it was Clark with her computer.  When she saw the story this morning, she had called him and left him a voice message.  She asked if he was ok and if he had gotten her computer.  The day was now half-gone and still no word from Clark.  
  
Looking at the phone screen, it showed not Clark Kent, but Davis Bloome.  
  
 _Crap!_ She still had no idea how to face him after everything that happened last night.  For just a moment, she wanted to be a coward and ignore the call.  
  
But no, she couldn't do that.  What if something was wrong...?  
  
"Hello?  Davis?"  
  
She heard a hard swallow on the line.  "Chloe?  Can you come home, please?  I had a ---"  He paused for a long moment, and she heard a heavy exaltation of breath.  "A nightmare.  I really need you now.  Can you come?"  
  
 _A nightmare?_ She looked at the clock.  It was after noon.  
  
Though something in his voice told her not to argue.  Told her she needed to come right away.  
  
She grabbed up her coat.  "I'll be there soon, Davis."  
  


* * *

  
  
The Talon closed early on Tuesdays, so even though it was still early afternoon, no one was in the coffee shop.  She moved to the basement door and knocked.  A few moments later, she heard the door unlock and Davis appeared.  
  
He was clean and perfect.  No sign of the events of the night before were visible.  
  
"Are you Ok?," she asked quickly.  
  
He smiled hesitantly, shyly.  "I am now.  I'm sorry for dragging you back so early, Chloe.  It was just..."  
  
She waited for him to finish, but he didn't.  "A bad dream?" she supplied helpfully.  
  
Some emotion flickered in his eyes, but it was gone too fast for her to identity.  "Yes, a bad dream."  
  
"Do you want me to come down with you for a while?" she offered.  
  
He looked back over his shoulder into the darkness of the basement.  Even though it was bright out, none of the sun seemed to make it into his lair.  
  
Chloe swore she saw him suppress a shudder.  
  
"Actually can we go upstairs for a while?"  
  
She squinted her eyes just slightly at Davis.  There was nothing sensual or warm about the request.  Nothing to indicate he desired a repeat of what happened last night.  In fact, this felt more like how he acted when he sliced himself cutting the tomato during their ill-fated dinner.  Like he wasn't telling her something.  He had been hiding some many secrets then.  What was he hiding now?  
  
Davis had been remarkably docile about being locked down in the basement so much.  Could he just be bored and afraid to say so?  
  
No, she didn't think that was it.  Not judging by his tension.  Though she knew that without some sort of stimulation he would start going insane.  An insane bearer of an alien destroyer would not be a good thing.  She should really start collecting more things for him to do to keep his mind active.  She needed to reinforce the connection that kept him human.  
  
Part of her wondered if Davis was weakening after everything that happened last night.  He had seemed so strong when he comforted her, but now...  
  
Had Doomsday been straining him today?  
  
Chloe stood where she was for a moment, meeting Davis' pleading eyes and thinking.  She had hoped Clark would call about her computer soon, and she couldn't risk the two men seeing each other.  But seeing the pained, hopeful look on Davis' face she knew that something deeper was at work.  Something he didn't want to face alone in the dark.  
  
She couldn't say no.  
  
"Alright, but be prepared to hide if anyone comes."  
  
He smiled with visible relief.  "Thank you."  
  
She partly understood then.  Davis needed something to make him feel normal, not like a caged beast.  A random thought crossed her mind.  Davis had been promising to cook for her for days.  She had been putting him off, because it reminded her too closely of their aborted dinner date and the horrible events that followed.  
  
Now seemed like the right time for them both to face some ghosts.  
  
She forced a smile.  "So you've been promising to make lasagna."


	104. Chapter 104

Once up in her apartment, Davis quickly went into action preparing the meal.  He was like a completely different person, now that he was freed from the dark basement.  His zeal for the task she had given him was evident in his soft humming while he pulled ingredients and utensils and pans out.  
  
Chloe moved to the bookshelves.  She would find him something to chase the ghosts away downstairs.  
  
She didn't have many books.  She did most of her reading online and almost all of it was related to one project or another.  
  
She did have a few though, and started pulling out her favorites for Davis to take down to the basement.

* * *

  
  
"So you put it in the oven at 400° for 60 minutes and voila!  Perfect lasagna!"  
  
Chloe peered at the enormous pan of lasagna, the dishes of buttered vegetables, and a large pot holding some sort of soup.  "That is a lot of food, Davis."  
  
He opened the oven and slid the pan inside.  "Well, I figured we would want leftovers.  Not sure when you will be able to sneak me out for this long again, and I wanted to make sure you had some real food available."  
  
Closing the oven door, he started collecting pots and utensils from where they were scattered all over the counter.  He brought them all over to the sink.  Without another word, he started doing the dishes.  She watched him in surprise.  She rarely cooked, and always put off the washing.  Jimmy had been no better.  
  
Was Davis was trying to minimize his footprint by being helpful and undemanding?  
  
Then she remembered his spotless apartment.  
  
Looking around at her cozy, messy space, she asked, "Do you miss your apartment?"  
  
He didn't stop his washing, but he replied.  "Yes and no.  Growing up like I did, you learn not to get too attached to places or things.  So in that way, no.  But I do miss my life."  
  
His eyes cut to hers, then away.  "Well, the parts that didn't include killing to control an alien monster."  
  
She took a sip of wine from her glass.  Keeping on the safer part of the topic, she inquired, "Like your job?"  
  
He nodded.  "I know this may seem strange, but even when I had to do the killing...it was... separate from me.  It was an awful fact, but it had to be done.  For me to protect, I had to sacrifice some."  He paused, then continued softly.  "The more I think on it, the logic seemed wrong, but then it made sense."  
  
He shook his head, pushing it away.  "But anyway, even with that, I felt this deep desire to help people.  To heal.  I still wanted to do good, even when I was doing so much evil."  
  
Chloe frowned.  That sounded almost like a split personality.  Could that be part of how he managed to contain the monster? By divorcing it from himself?  
  
Chloe watched him clean and sipped her wine as Davis washed.  She tried to fight the comfortable feeling.  It was felt too much like their short relationship.  
  
Her body gave an involuntary shiver at the reminder of that relationship ...and last night.  
  
 _I never should have let him touch me like that again._  
  
Even as she told herself that, she found herself watching his long fingered hands working in the soapy water.  She found herself substituting her body for the pasta pot as he moved a soapy hand over the surface.  She found herself completely mesmerized.  When he pulled the drain plug and the water made a whooshing sound, she jumped, nearly biting her tongue when her jaw snapped closed.  
  
Davis said something, but she was so flustered, she didn't hear him.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
He smiled slightly. She wondered if he guessed where her thoughts had been.  
  
"I asked if it was OK for me to take a shower.  We've got about 20 minutes left on the lasagna."  
  
"Yeah, go ahead."  She smiled too brightly at him.  
  
"OK.  I set a timer for the lasagna.  If I'm not finished in time, can you take it out?"  
  
She smiled, and looked pointedly around at the large selection of food.  It was, by far, the most food to ever appear in this kitchen under any of its last 3 tenants.  "I think opening the oven door falls within my culinary abilities."  
  
He smiled back.  "Thanks."  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis had only just started the shower when her phone finally rang.  The screen showed Clark Kent.  
  
She glanced quickly at the bathroom door, even though she heard the water running.  She would prefer that Davis not overhear her talking to Clark.  
  
She answered on the third ring.  "Hi, Clark."  
  
"Hey, Chloe.  Good news!  I have your computer.  Want me to swing it by Isis now?"  
  
"I'm not at Isis.  I'm home."  
  
"Why?  Is something else wrong?"  
  
"No, no.  I just...had some stuff to do around the apartment.  Are you ok?  What happened with the thieves?"  
  
Clark gave her the rundown of what happened with Manheim and his goons and their counterfeiting operation.  He also told her he had been shot when weakend by kryptonite.  
  
"Oh God, Clark."  Her hand flew to her mouth in horror.  She had nearly gotten him killed.  Her eyes flicked to the bathroom door, where an alien killer showered.  
  
What if everything she was doing to help Clark -- to help the world -- was just _wrong_?  
  
"Anyway, I'll be over in a few, Chloe.  Just have to get out of the building.  See you in blink."  
  
"No!  Wait, Clark!"  
  
But Clark had already hung up.  
  
"Oh.  Ummm..."  
  
 _Dammit!_ She had been too busy wrapped in her own fearful worries that she hadn't realized Clark would be coming.  Coming now.  
  
Davis!  
  
She ran to the bathroom door and knocked loudly, "Davis!"  
  
The water stopped.  "Yeah, Chloe?  What's wrong?"  
  
"Shut off the water and be very still and silent.  Cl...someone's coming over and will be here before I can sneak you back downstairs.  You have to stay in there."  
  
There was a pregnant pause.  
  
"Ok."  
  
The buzzer for the lasagna went off.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis stood perfectly still in Chloe's shower, trying to ignore the shampoo dripping down to sting his eyes.  The sting wouldn't kill him, so he wasn't building an immunity to it.  
  
It was just damn uncomfortable.  
  
He heard a murmur of voices and tried not to think too much about who it was out there.  He didn't want to alert the monster to who it _could_ be.  So instead, he closed his burning eyes and inhaled deeply, though silently.  This room with its products smelled perfectly of Chloe.  
  


* * *

  
  
Clark finally noticed the large amounts of food on the counter.  "Are you expecting company?," he asked.  
  
"Uh no."  Chloe forced herself to chuckle, though she expected it sounded uncomfortable.  "Turns out that my body's natural reaction to stress is to bake undigestible amounts of food."  
  
Clark looked at her with narrowed eyes.  "Really? After all the near-apocalypses we've been through, I've never seen more than a chocolate-chip cookie come out of that oven. Are you okay?"  
  
 _I'm just super, Clark.  Please just ignore the serial-killer-alien-destroyer hiding in my shower, will you?_  
  
Yeah, best not to go there.  
  
"It's -- I mean, you almost died yesterday... for my computer."  
  
"You made an honest mistake."  Clark pulled up his shirt to reveal his perfect torso.  "I'm fine."  
  
He was indeed perfectly intact.  No thanks to her.  Regret and fear and guilt hit her in a sudden wave, and she felt her eyes sting suddenly with unshed tears.  
  
Clark saw the pain in her expression and pressed.  "I know you better than that. This is not about a computer. What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. Really, I'm fine."  Dammit!  She had to be fine.  The situation was too fragile as it was.  She had to deflect Clark.  
  
She went into a flurry of words and motion.  "Look, I apologize for being a little off my game lately. It's just that after my divorce and Brainiac and now playing Watchtower to a bunch of needy superheroes, I forget that I need to be all smiles all the time."  
  
Clark's eyes were deeply concerned as he stepped towards her at the counter.  "Chloe, no one expects you to bounce back from everything you've been through. I just want you to know I'm here for you if you need me."  
  
"I know."  Clark was always there to save her.  Well, she needed to start doing a better job of saving him, and started by getting him out of here.  "But right now I really just need a little bit of space... not a supersave, okay?"  
  
Clark looked at her for a long moment, and she gave him a watery reassuring smile.  He nodded acceptance, though he was clearly confused and left.  
  
She let out a deep breath when the door closed behind Clark.  
  


* * *

  
  
She waited a full five minutes before going to the bathroom door and knocking.  "Davis?  It's ok now.  You can come out."  
  
She heard his chuckle.  "Actually no, I can't.  I'm still covered in suds.  I'll be another moment."  
  
The mental image that instantly snapped into place broke her scrambling fearful/guilty thoughts.  Sudsy, naked Davis with rivulets of water running over his pale body.  
  
"Ok, I'll lay out the table," she responded too brightly.  
  
Dammit!  What was it with her and suds today?


	105. Chapter 105

They fell into an uneasy sort of routine.  Chloe worked the barest minimum number of hours at Isis, both for the foundation and Watchtower.  Even so, she was still gone for long stretches of the day.   When she did get home, she now went down to join Davis in his dark lair instead of the bright apartment.  After the scare with Clark, she became much more careful of the times she let Davis upstairs.  She couldn't expect to be able to hide him in the bathroom again, should an unexpected visitor stop by.  Now she only let him up to apartment when she knew specifically that everyone that _could_ show up was otherwise occupied.  
  
This left him alone down in the darkness of the basement for extended stretches. She knew it was unhealthy, but what else could she do?  
  
She really couldn't blame him when he finally snuck out.  He didn't understand why she broke down in tears when she found him just outside.  He had left a note saying where he was.  
  
She hadn't told him that the bodies found in the Smallville cornfield were the headline story for weeks, even if the police didn't have any leads.  
  
Holding her as she cried, he explained he was just enjoying the limited "fresh air" of the Talon alley.  She broke from him arms and forced herself not to yell.  Her voice came out as a sharp hiss, "I need to trust you, Davis!  I can't have you go sneaking off!  I need to trust that when I'm not here, that you are still safe!"  
  
He promised not to leave the basement again.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis tried a number of mental and physical exercises down in the basement in hopes of finding better ways to control the monster within.  
  
Nothing worked.  Except Chloe.  
  
So he tried his best to surround himself with her, even when she wasn't there.  Books she liked, pictures of her, her Daily Planet articles, movies she enjoyed...  
  
Anything he could think to use to push the monster back.  
  
Doomsday continued his assault on Davis.  The monster began plaguing Davis with nightmares of his killings, but...altered.  In the dreams, it showed Davis enjoying the murders, bathing in the blood, laughing exuberantly.  It was trying to make Davis out to be the monster.  
  
Davis felt sick, because it was true.  At least in part.  He _had_ committed the murders.  He _had_ let the monster off his leash.  
  
It was then that he most felt the monster just under the surface of his skin.  He would beg Chloe to come to him, but he kept the depth of his fight a secret.  With Chloe, he was in control.  With her, he was a man.  He wanted to keep it that way.  He didn't want her to see the fractured shell he was without her.  
  
For her part, Chloe didn't let Davis see just how much stress she was under by hiding him.  Lois and Clark complained that they never saw her.  Isis was failing, but she hid it in the paperwork.  During one mission as Watchtower, she almost got Bart killed when she missed a security code on a booby-trapped door.  Thankfully, the speedster made it through before the blast.  Oliver yelled at her to get her head out of her ass.  
  


* * *

  
  
Even with the secret tensions, moments of unexpected, fiery heat still hit them both.  
  
A look.  An off-hand comment.  An innocent touch.  An accidental flash of bare skin.  
  
Any of it, and the fires would burst into life.  
  
They didn't give in to it.  Didn't even acknowledge it.  They never talked about their lost relationship or the night of the thug's killing.  
  
Every evening, they said their good-nights and went back to their separate beds two floors apart.  
  
They told themselves were doing only what was best.  They were only friends now.  
  
That was all.  
  
Just friends.


	106. Chapter 106

Chloe sorted through the books on her bookshelf, looking for something new to bring down to Davis. The only sizable books she had left were her yearbooks, binders full of Torch articles, and Wall of Weird stories.  Maybe she should show him some of her Torch stories.  He always seemed to want to know more about her.  
  
She felt a smile cross her face.  
  
 _Though how would an alien destroyer enjoy the Wall of Weird?_

  
In high school, Clark had often fought against her pursuit of the truth behind the stories, but now she understood why.  With his secret between them, he had been in a tense place.  She hadn't ever asked Clark how he felt about the stories since learning his secret.  
  
Well, maybe Davis would like them better.

* * *

  
  
Chloe stood at the top of the stairs to The Talon basement and tried not to be noticed.

  
_There's a still in the street outside your window_  
You're keeping secrets on your pillow  
  
Below, Davis was folding laundry on the bed and singing.  She was just as caught now as the first time she had heard him sing.  He had a full, beautiful, and throaty voice.  His back was to her as he sorted the clothes from the basket.  It took her a moment to place the song.

  
_Let me inside, no cause for alarm_  
  
He was singing along with Brandon Flowers to Crossfire.  His voice making a deeper counterpoint to the singer on the speakers.  
  
 _I promise tonight not to do no harm  
I promise you babe, I will do you no harm_  
  
A neatly stacked pile of dark t-shirts formed out of the heap of clothes in the basket.  
  
 _And we're caught up in the crossfire of Heaven and Hell  
And we're searchin' for shel-ter_  
  
His voice echoed through the dark confines of the basement, seeming to fill it with life.  She leaned against the wall and watched his back in fascination as he paired socks neatly.  She realized then that he was just as fastidious in his basement hideout as he had been in his apartment.  What mess there was usually came from her.  She remembered him telling her that his neatness was a way for him to exert some measure of control over his life.  She guessed that was even more important now.  The Beast took so much from him, that this little thing was a way for him to exert some control over his world.  Small as it was.  
  
 _Lay your body down  
Lay your body down  
Lay your body down_  
  
Jeans were neatly folded next to the shirts.  
  
 _Watching your dress as you turn down the lights_...  
  
The laundry ran out before the song.  Without missing a word or a beat, he spun to face the top of the stairs.  Continuing the words of the song, he smiled warmly and extended a hand up to her.  
  
 _I forget all about the storm outside..._  
  
His liquid eyes entreated her as much as his extended hand.  
  
 _Dark clouds roll their way over town_...  
  
She smiled back a bit sheepishly and fingered the railing.  He had known she was stalking him from the landing the whole time.  She slowly made her way down the stairs to where he was standing with his hand extended, entreating her with the song.  
  
 _Heartache and pain came a-pouring down like hail, sleet and rain, yeah  
They're handing it out_  
  
At the bottom of the stairs, she put down the books and binders, then moved to take his hand as the music swelled.  
  
 _And we're caught up in the crossfire of Heaven and Hell_  
  
He pulled her to him, and seamlessly moved her into a dance.His hand clasping hers and his other spread across her back.  Her hand automatically found its way to his shoulder.  He was smiling, happy, the Davis she knew from before.  The Davis that had challenged her to sing karaoke.  The Davis that had brought her birthday presents.  
  
 _And we're searching for shel-ter_  
  
His eyes slid closed as he tilted his forehead down to hers.  Even with his closed eyes, he gracefully spun with her to the refrain, singing the words to her softer now.  This was another Davis she knew.  This was the Davis that danced too close with her at the club.  
  
 _Lay your body down  
Lay your body down  
Lay your body down_  
  
He spun her out and then snapped her back as his voice swelled with the refrain again.  This time his eyes stayed open as they met hers.  
  
 _Lay your body down  
Lay your body down  
Lay your body down_  
  
As the chorus closed, his hands shifted to her waist.  She only had time to give him a puzzled look before he triumphantly lifted her into the air and spun.  
  
 _And tell the Devil that he can go back from where he came  
His fiery arrows drew their bead in vain_  
  
Lowering her, he carried her right into another spin, but this time her feet stayed on the ground.  She couldn't help but laugh aloud as he grinned at her, never pausing his song.  She thought of him teasing and smiling under the lightbulb when they stood on her desk.  
  
 _And when the hardest part is over, we'll be here...  
  
And our dreams will break the boundaries of our fear_...  
  
Just as suddenly, he stopped their spinning and pulled her close.  Her body was flush against the hard strength of his.  The last lyric sang out as he tilted his head down to hers.  He said it into her smiling lips, which were now just a breath away from his own.  Another Davis.  This was the one that pressed into her and kissed the air from her lungs against her apartment door.  
  
 _The boundaries of our fear..._  
  
His smile flickered as the final chorus rose up around them, his eyes searching hers.  Her own smile faded as she was caught by his suddenly intense look.  Neither of them moved.  Heat and tension rose around them with each second that she didn't pull away.  She watched as his warm brown eyes turned molten.  The kiss in the alley, their first kiss, started that way.  
  
She should pull away.  It was important to keep the boundaries between them.  They couldn't go back in time.  They couldn't pretend it was that magical week anymore.  It wasn't even the broken night of the thug's death.  
  
Yes, she should definitely back away, and sever this melting tension.  She should really stop staring at the curve of his mouth and thinking about the naked strength in his pale body.  Stop thinking about how it felt to have him moving in her.  
  
She didn't blink or look away.  Then without closing his eyes, Davis started to lower his head slowly.  She heard Brandon Flowers sing one last line...  
  
 _Next to mine..._  
  
It had been a lifetime since their last kiss on that awful night of the thug's death.  They had both been broken.  And before that...well, then they were both different people.  Lying to themselves, lying to each other.  
  
Her whole body clenched in anticipation.  
  
Her eyes slid closed.  
  
"Chloe?  Where are you?  Chloe?"  
  
Clark's voice.  
  
 _Crap!_  
  
Her eyes snapped open and met Davis' eyes.  
  
His look silently pleaded for her to ignore Clark's calls, to stay with him.  
  
But the spell was broken.  Reality returned.  
  
 _Oh God, what was I thinking??_  
  
This was exactly the sort of thing she was trying to avoid between them.  But just one song and a melting look, and she had forgotten everything.  She'd nearly been panting for Davis to take her.  
  
She hastily broke away from Davis, but couldn't meet his gaze.  
  
 _It's just reaction, Chloe.  Stress.  That's all.  You almost slipped, but it is OK now.  Boundaries are still in place.  You can handle this._  
  
Davis stepped back, raking the fingers of one hand through his short hair, making a sound of frustration.  
  
Chloe raised a finger to her lips indicating quiet.  Davis raised an eyebrow as if to say, "What else would I do?"  
  
Chloe flushed.  To cover her frazzled state, she spun and snapped off the music.  She had been unaware when the song changed, but now The Killers seemed very loud.  
  
Davis moved over to the cot and sat down next to his neatly folded clothes.  He watched as she made her way back up the stairs and out of his world.  
  
"Chloe?  What were you doing?  I tried your cell and have been here calling for you!" Clark accused.  
  
Chloe sighed heavily, and taking a hand through her own hair, hoped it didn't have the look of exactly what she had been doing.  
  
 _Well see, Clark, I was just about to have sex with a dead man down in the basement.  Mind coming back in a few hours?_  
  
Yeah, that definitely wouldn't go over well.  
  
"I was changing the laundry.  I starting off a new load and left my phone upstairs.  So what's up?"  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis watched Chloe disappear through the basement door.  He hadn't meant for things to get heated like that.  Chloe was trying so hard to manage some kind of control over the situation, and part of that was setting these walls between them.  
  
She was friend.  Guardian.  Lifeline.  
  
Not lover.  Not anymore.  
  
But when the opportunity presented itself, he couldn't not take it.  Her body pressed to his.  Her eyes bright and her lips slightly parted...kissing her felt like the most natural thing in the world.  
  
A growl rose in his throat, but it wasn't The Beast.  It was him.  
  
It felt like he was fighting a battle on too many fronts.  Fighting Doomsday, fighting himself, fighting the haunting madness...fighting Chloe.  
  
Eventually something was going to have to give.  
  
He just wasn't sure what that would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers.


	107. Chapter 107

Chloe was just getting ready to climb into bed, wearing her new silky yellow nightgown, when her phone rang.  The screen showed it was Davis.  
  
"Davis, is everything okay?"

His voice was tinny over the phone.  "Sorry if I woke you. I..."  He sighed.  "I had another one."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes a little.  Why did the nightmares bother him so much?  They weren't real and he knew that.  "It's just a dream. You know you're safe with me."

"Could you come down anyway? I-I need to see you."

"Of course. I'll be down right away."  
  
 _Another night on duty..._  
  


* * *

  
  
She donned the matching yellow Chinese-print robe that went with her nightgown and made her way down the steps to the basement.  
  
However, when she opened the basement door she was surprised to see a scattering of red.  
  
Leaning down, she picked up...a rose petal.  
  
Then she noticed a trail of the flower petals going down the steps.  Confused, she stood up again and followed the trail.  
  
She was half-way down when she paused.  
  
There must have been a hundred candles lighting up the basement at the end of the flower trail.  
  
Davis stood amongst the petals, sleekly dressed all in black and smiling.  Candlelight fought with shadows, playing peek-a-boo with his beautiful face.  
  
Behind him was his neatly made cot, though the flowers stopped short of reaching it.  
  
It was a distinctly...romantic scene.  Was this because of what had happened earlier.  Did he think that --?  Her heart went into overdrive and her body clenched, but she kept her voice light.  
  
"You know, this isn't exactly the typical response to a bad dream. Most people just get a night-light."  
  
He laughed and tilted his head in that charming way of his.  "I wanted to surprise you."  
  
She smiled in response, touched.  "It's beautiful."  He ducked his head, almost shyly.  She continued, "But I don't remember ever seeing a box of candles down here.  Or flowers."  
  
He gave her a naughty-little-boy expression.  "There weren't any."  
  
Oh no.  She continued down the steps.  "Davis, we talked about this. You can't leave the basement."  
  
"I was careful."  He didn't look the least bit sorry, despite his broken promise.  "I know how much you're risking by helping me. I only wanted to thank you."  
  
She joined him in the circle of candlelight.  "I don't need thanks. I need to able to trust you," she replied firmly.  
  
"I won't do it again. I'm sorry."  He tried to look sorry, but spoiled the effect by holding up a long-stemmed red rose.  
  
Despite herself, she smiled at his incorrigible expression, and took the rose.  She let it dangle loosely from her fingers.  
  
Davis expression became suddenly serious.  "Chloe, you've helped me when no one else would."  
  
"Well, friends help each other, right?" she replied lightly.  
  
He looked at her incredulously.   "Friends help you move. They take you to the airport. You can't think that's really all this is."  
  
 _No!  Don't do this, Davis!  Don't break the rules.  Don't break down my safety barriers!_  
  
Pulling herself together, she broke from his gaze, pacing away in a sudden burst of energy.  "Okay, so maybe it was a 9.9 on the Richter scale of favors, Davis, but that doesn't change our relationship."  
  
 _There!  That is **that.**_  
  
He didn't let it drop.  "Chloe, we met in a flurry of smoking ash, burnt-out cars, people freaking out..."  He moved to close the distance between them again.  "But for a moment there, it felt like everything disappeared except _us._ "  His liquid brown eyes mesmerized her.   "Those feelings haven't changed."  
  
Her own eyes suddenly stung.  This was how it had been.  This was what it was like when...he was hers.  
  
She fought to hold onto reason.  She couldn't let him know.  Couldn't let him in again.  She needed objectivity.  
  
"I do care about you, Davis."  _Oh God, his eyes...the liquid warmth there..._ She had to get away.  "But --"  
  
She moved to go around him, but he reached out and stopped her gently with a long-fingered hand on her arm.  "Stay."  When she stopped, he caught her eyes again.  "Please."  
  
She found herself unable to move from his gaze again.  
  
"Without you, the man that I want to be doesn't exist," he whispered passionately.  
  
Words failed her.  Movement failed her.  
  
Davis didn't.  
  
His head leaned in slowly, his intentions clear, giving her plenty of time to pull away again.  
  
She didn't.  She couldn't.  Her eyes slid closed instead.  
  
She knew he paused by his gentle breath on her face.  She opened her eyes again, catching his warm brown gaze.  She read the message there.  This wasn't going to just be him kissing her.  He wanted her to meet him.  
  
Her eyes closed again, and this time she raised her lips to meet his.  
  
She guessed he had planned a soft kiss, by the first tentative meeting, but that lasted only a second before they were both clutching at each other, deepening the kiss as the familiar, but long-denied passion exploded between them again.  
  
Fire.  
  
The fire she only ever felt with him.  This was where things had been going earlier today.  This was what she had been denying herself for weeks.  
  
No more.  
  
She found herself pushing him back.  She wasn't sure where to, just someplace where she could have better leverage.  He slammed up against a wall, but never broke the kiss.  Hands -- his, hers, both -- way too many and way too few, were everywhere.  Their mouthes met and shifted as if to consume each other as passion raged.  Then with a spin, it was her back against the wall, and him pressing into her.  Her hands skimmed his strong, broad back.  
  
 _God, the feel of him..._  
  
She had pushed all thoughts of this from her mind, but to have it again...  
  
Then suddenly, he...stopped and pulled back.  
  
She looked up in confusion and disappointment.  
  
Why had he stopped?  Why were his clothes not flying across the room?  Why weren't hers?  
  
Then suddenly something brilliant red and wet flashed out from the basement shadows at her.  
  
She moved away, feeling Davis watching her with a strange intensity that no longer felt erotic.  
  
The red stretched back around a corner of supplies in a gleaming trail, sickeningly similar to, but so different from, the rose petals.  
  
"Davis, is that blood?" she asked, puzzled.  It had been weeks since the thug, and Davis always kept the basement clean.  
  
Davis moved up next to her and looked sorrowful.  "What did you think was gonna happen?"  
  
A wave of fear and unease swept over her, but she had to know.  She moved to follow the red trail, grabbing one of the candles to light her way.  She moved into the streaming recesses by the boiler and saw a shrouded shape.  Her heart beating with trepidation, she pulled the cloth away.  
  
She gasped in horror.  
  
Clark's bloody top half was hanging, bent over a pole.  There was no bottom half.  A red S-shape was smeared over his still chest.  
  


* * *

  
  
"No!"  
  
She woke in her own bed, wearing her old cotton pj's.  
  
Her heart pounded, as she searched the room in fear, horror, and confusion.  
  
Seeing she was alone in the dark room, a wave of pain swept over her, blotting out much of the panic.  Pain for lying to and pushing away the people she cared for.  Pain for herself and her isolation.  Pain for all that could have, should have been...with Davis.  
  
Davis that lay two floors below.  
  
A dream?  Had it all just been a dream?  
  
She had to find out.  
  
She tossed the covers away and lept from the bed.


	108. Chapter 108

She had to be sure.  She had to make sure it really had been a dream.

  
Chloe grabbed a robe - not the gold one - and threw it on over her cotton pj's.  She tucked her feet into slippers and quietly made her way out of her apartment.  It was the middle of the night and the building was silent except her quiet footfalls and a ticking clock.  She made her way to the basement door.  
  
There she paused.  The door would be locked.  She didn't want to wake Davis if he was sleeping.  He seemed to sleep so poorly most nights.  Also, if he was sleeping, then that would prove the dream a lie just as well.  She decided on a very soft knock and quiet call of his name.  
  
A moment later, she heard the bolt slide back.  The door opened a fraction and a single deep brown eye appeared.  When he had confirmed it was her, Davis opened the door wider.  
  
"Chloe?  What's wrong?  It's the middle of the night."  His expression was concerned.  
  
Chloe swallowed hard, but noted Davis' clothes.  A navy tee and dark gray sleep pants.  No black.  No dress clothes.  
  
Still, her voice was slightly choked as she asked, "Is it OK if I come in, Davis?"  
  
He blinked, but stepped back.  "Yeah, yeah.  Of course.  Come on down."  
  
No candles or roses red as blood.  Just the bedside lamp on.  A book lay facedown on the cot.  She carefully made her way down the steps, a sudden awareness pricking between her shoulder blades as Davis trailed behind.  
  
As she climbed down the stairs, she suddenly realized she was breaking their silent protocol.  For the second time today.  
  
It was the middle of the night, and she had just knocked on his door and asked to enter his lair in her pj's.  Her footsteps slowed, then stopped on the stairs.  Maybe she should go.  It had been just a dream.  That was obvious now.  She wasn't going to find Clark's bloody torso.  All she had found was Davis quietly reading by bedside light.  
  
Yes, she should definitely make an excuse and leave.  
  
So why wasn't she?  
  
 _Because you don't want to be alone..._  
  
She was confused and lost and.... she just didn't want to go.  
  
So instead she found herself making her way over to Davis' cot.  As she passed the stacks of old films that led deeper into the basement, she glanced over, but there was no blood.  
  
Just a dream.  Even the parts where Davis had...  
  
 _No.  Best not to think of that._  
  
She sat down on the cot.  
  
Davis hadn't said a word since she asked to come in.  He just watched her with anxious eyes, waiting for an explanation.  
  
Chloe picked up the book that lay on the covers next to her.  
  
A Tale of Two Cities.  
  
It had been an assigned book for English class sophomore year at Smallville high.  She had actually really liked it, so it had been on her limited bookshelf.  She had brought it down for Davis.  
  
"It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times..." she declared, forcing her voice to be more light and cheerful.  
  
Davis quirked a slightly confused smile, but let her set the conversation.  "Yes, seems appropriate actually."  
  
The words were out before she could stop them.  "What do you mean?"  
  
Davis sat down next to her on the cot.  The long fingers of one hand just a hair's breath from her own.  He looked at her in that head down tilted way of his.  It made him seem slightly puppyish.  "Well, the worst of times part is pretty obvious."  His eyes rolled around to indicate the dark basement around them.  
  
"As for the best of times..." His voice dropped to a whisper.  "There's you."  
  
She wasn't sure how to reply, but Davis wasn't done.  "And, the hero gives his life for the happiness of his love."  
  
His eyes lifted to meet hers.  
  
 _Love._ Now it was him breaking the rules.  
  
His brown eyes were so full of emotion she had a hard time identifying all of them.  
  
"I would do anything for you Chloe.  Even die.  Again.  But with this thing inside me..."  
  
Sher placed a finger over his lips, stopping the words.  Pain, desperation, fear, love...they all shone in Davis' eyes.  
  
She wondered what he saw in her eyes.  
  
Then she knew why she hadn't turned away as soon as the cobwebs of the dream had been torn asunder.  Her dreams had tried to tell her before the fear had taken over.  Inside she knew what she wanted, needed.  
  
She was tired of the lying, tired of the fear, tired of feeling alone and lonely.  She found herself moving without thinking.  
  
Davis had given himself to her once before as a balm, as a comfort.  Torn between passion and fear, she found herself in desperate need for that again.  
  
Chloe moved so she was straddling him where he sat on the cot.  His expression was beautiful.  Hope, joy, and love suffused his features as his eyes warmed.  She placed her hands on either side of his face and leaned down to kiss him softly on the mouth.  There were no secrets or lies in the kiss.  
  
Davis strong arms wrapped under hers and his hands clasped on her shoulders.  Holding her firmly so she wouldn't tip back off his lap.  
  
The kiss she gave him was soft and her lips were open, teasing and inviting his.  His lips fitted with hers with his mouth also slightly parted.  She could feel the exhales of his breath across her tongue and knew he would be feeling hers the same way.  
  
Shared pain.  Shared isolation.  Shared breath.  
  
And as the intensity as the kisses increased - shared need.  
  
She needed this.  Lines and rules be dammed.  She needed this contact.  Needed this release.  In a way, she was using him, but Davis had been the only one to ever make her feel this way.  She needed _him._  
  
As his hands shifted to roam her body, bright flashes of memory hit her.  Other times those hands had been on her.  Other times the fires had burned this hot.  Other times those molten eyes of his had threatened to consume them both.  
  
And it changed.  
  
It was no longer about fear and comfort.  It was about heat and need.  It was that primal drive that only he had ever made her feel.  
  
All finesse was gone now for both of them.  
  
"This doesn't change anything about our relationship, Davis," she gasped as her hands tugged at his shirt.  
  
"I know."  He mouthed around her breast.  
  
"Davis, we can't go back to how it was."  His shirt now gone, her hands slid down his chest to his waist.  
  
"I know."  His hands moved to the cotton of her pajama shorts.  
  
"It wasn't real."  She was fumbling at the buttons on the fly of his sleep pants.  
  
"You're wrong, Chloe."  He stretched the fabric of her pajama shorts and, using his thumbs, tore right through the fabric.  
  
"It was based on a lie."  His hard shaft sprung free.  
  
"Just because it was based on a lie, doesn't mean it wasn't real."  He grabbed her and lifted her up.  " _This_ was always real."  With a single hard thrust, he pushed into her.  
  
Chloe let out a cry and wrapped her legs around him.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis thrust into her hard, desperate, claiming.  Chloe was _his_ , no matter what she said.  And he would make damn sure she knew it.  
  
Her body was crashing frantically up and down on his as his hips pulsed up into her.  There was nothing tender or gentle now, as he slammed into her, almost punishingly.  Each hard push marking her as his.  He would burn himself into her flesh, into her soul.  He knew he was destined for hell eventually, but Chloe was his own personal heaven.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe sank her teeth into Davis' shoulder.  Hard.  She was well beyond reason now.  Everything was raw and animal and desperate.  Her body didn't just accept his, she pulled him, milked him, demanded everything he had.  Her body growing tight and grasping around his, an almost painful pressure built behind her eyes.  The hard, frantic pace of their crashing bodies rushed towards supernova.  
  
Just when she didn't think she could take any more, Davis' hands grasped her hips and pressed her down hard as his back and hips arched up, filling her to the breaking point.  
  
So she broke.  
  
She screamed loudly and echoingly even with her teeth clenched on him.  The sound she made one part pain and three parts pleasure as her body tensed and shook.  She was aware of Davis' own cry, full of pain, release, and primal claim.  She felt him burst inside of her before everything went black.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe didn't know how long she blacked out, but it couldn't have been too long.  Her body was still having aftershocks.  Waves of rolling sensation still moving through her in delicious bursts.  Every time they rolled through her and she shuddered, she felt Davis quiver in reaction, both under her hands and where he was still buried inside her.  
  
It took a long time for it to finally end.  
  
When it did, she couldn't meet his eyes.  She climbed off him, aware of the ruined state of her shorts and the stickiness of her thighs.  
  
She felt Davis watching her, but he didn't say a word.  She sensed more than saw him putting his pants back to rights.  Though she couldn't stop herself from peeking.  Davis had a beautiful body.  
  
She turned away slightly and spoke softly.  "I'm sorry, Davis.  I shouldn't have done that.  It won't happen again."  
  
She turned to leave, but he was fast.  He was standing before her, and gripped her arm gently.  "Chloe.  Talk to me.  What happened?"  
  
She finally brought her eyes up to meet his.  She felt the tears burning at the edges.  
  
What had she done?  She had risked everything.  Complicated everything, because she couldn't separate her feelings for him.  
  
The world depended on keeping Davis in control of Doomsday, and she had come down and jumped him for a quick fuck because she needed it.  Because she needed to connect.  Because she needed him to need her for something other than keeping the monster in line.  
  
The words came out choked.  "I can't, Davis."  
  
His eyes became hard.  "You can't what, Chloe?"  
  
And she realized her poor choice of words.  "I can't talk about this right now.  I --". She swallowed again.  "I don't know why I did that.  I just... needed it.  Needed you.  But I shouldn't have.  I'm sorry.  I have to go."  
  
She pulled her arm free and dashed out of the basement.  
  
Davis remained below, standing in the warm glow of light from the lamp watching her go.


	109. Chapter 109

Morning came much too quickly.  Though it didn't really matter.  She was awake anyway when her alarm started going off.

  
Chloe threw the covers aside and stepped into her slippers.  As had become her habit since waking up as Lois, she went over to the mirror to check her reflection.  She was wearing her oldest, most covering pj's.  The ones she had worn down to see Davis, she had stripped and buried at the bottom of her laundry basket after leaving the basement last night.  
  
Even after a long icy shower, she could still feel the burning fire of his touch, the heat in her blood as she took him in.  
  
She could still feel the desire to go to him.  She wanted to feel the fire of his mouth.  She wanted to feel his hot heavy body around hers.  She wanted to lick the salt from his bare skin.  She wanted to feel his fullness in her and the fireworks she had only ever knew with him.  
  
Then she wanted him to curl around her and tell her everything would be alright.  
  
But it was wrong.  He was fighting so hard against the beast within, she couldn't add her burdens to him.  
  
Friends.  She was supposed to be his friend, his guardian.  
  
His jailer.  
  
She shook her head and turned from the mirror.  
  
Last night had been a mistake, but it wouldn't happen again.  It was a new day.  She would do better today.  She would protect him.  Even from herself.  
  


* * *

  
  
She was in a daze as she prepared herself a cappuccino.  Her phone rang, and she jumped, spilling some of the frothy milk.  When she saw Davis on the caller ID, she couldn't do it.  She couldn't face him just yet.  
  
Or she might do something stupid.  Again.  
  
She needed to get her game face on.  
  
Coffee would help.  
  
"You okay? You can usually make cappuccinos blindfolded," Clark said as he walked in.  
  
"Clark, hey. Uh, yeah, I just didn't get my full seven hours of sleep last night."  
  


* * *

  
  
Seeing Davis declared a serial killer and that Tess Mercer had devoted the entire front page of The Daily Planet to the story was very bad news.  
  
Clark suspecting Davis was still alive might be worse news.  
  
Chloe thought she had managed to soothe Clark's fears about Davis.  For his own safety, Clark needed to keep believing Davis was dead.  
  
But time was clearly starting to run out.  Keeping Davis in the basement to be close to her was proving to be less and less of a workable option.  They needed to risk finding a cure.  
  
She needed to make a call to Doctor Emil Hamilton.

* * *

  
  
Davis was reading through the binder full of Torch articles Chloe had dropped off last night.  He also had her yearbook out.  He was using the yearbook to look up pictures of the people mentioned in the articles.  Not because he really cared what they looked like, but because it made the reading feel more like research.  That kept his mind busier.  It was shocking the number of students from Smallville High that had become meteor infected. He had thought that Metropolis had a high rate of incidence, but then again Smallville was ground zero.  
  
The yearbook was also full of pictures of Chloe.  Her work at the high school paper made her prominent throughout its pages.  He liked the smiling images of young Chloe.  
  
He didn't like that in almost every one of those images with her was an equally smiling Clark.  
  
Chloe and Clark under a "Best Buds" banner.   Clark in a football uniform with Chloe clearly interviewing him.  Clark with his arm around her shoulders.  Clark hugging her.  
  
Even one of Clark dancing with her, their faces close and smiling into the other's eyes.  
  
A ripple of unease went through him.  The darkness of Doomsday within didn't speak, but he felt it in his mind.  It was lingering on the images of Chloe and Clark together.  He wasn't sure why, but Davis knew it was planning something.  He felt it stirring with a feeling like a cold wave through his body.  Davis rubbed his hands together even though the chill was strictly mental.  
  
Then Chloe appeared on the stairs leading down to his basement lair.  In the dim light, she was radiant as sunshine.  And just as hard to hang on to.  The tightness and chill in him loosened as the monster was forced back again.  
  
God, she was beautiful.  He could never get enough time looking at her.  In part, because he only ever really felt like himself with her around now.  
  
But she didn't know that.  
  
He wasn't sure where her mind was after their unexpected passionate encounter of last night, so he decided to play it safe and stay on a neutral topic.  
  
"Guess I'm not the first guy to offer you a walk on the weird side.  You're a hell of a writer."  She saw what he was reading and gave a small, distracted smile, but her reply indicated she was willing to keep to the safe conversation.  
  
"That was written a long time ago, like another lifetime."  She sounded sad.  
  
"But I can still hear the same Chloe...and, uh, more than a little Clark."  _Every picture of her had Clark in it._ Clark and her sharing a computer in a room that declared itself "Home of the Torch."  Clark holding Chloe in his arms.  Clark kissing her.  
  
Wait...no.  That hadn't been one of the pictures...had it?  
  
He tried not to ask, but the words came out anyway.  He had to know.  "Did you guys ever...share more than a byline in high school?"  
  
Her smile and slight laugh were strange with some sort of hidden emotion.  "Nothing that'd make page one," she replied.  
  
 _That wasn't exactly a no..._  
  
Chloe continued, "But here's a headline I think you might like."  She took the chair across from him.  "I called a doctor today.  One who is very familiar with people like you."  
  
Oh no.  Not that.  Not after everything he had tried.  Not after what they had been through...  
  
Not after last night...  
  
 _NO._  
  
He let his frustration show - both at her lack of a "No" about Clark and about what a doctor could do to them.  He dropped the pencil he had been idly playing with and got up to pace.  
  
"Chloe...after..."  
  
 _Last night..._  
  
The Beast sensed his weakness and tried pushing forward.  With Chloe there, it couldn't break free, but that didn't stop it from trying.  Davis eyes began to burn and he rubbed at them, trying to regain calm.  "Everything we've tried..."  His eyes stopped smarting after a moment of pressing back on the monster.  "I've finally accepted that there is no cure on Earth, not for an alien."  
  
"Maybe not for an MD who specializes in human beings, but this guy has a doctorate in otherworldly disorders."  
  
She seemed so adamant, so excited.  How could she seem so lively knowing they would take him away?  Maybe she didn't understand...  
  
"You really think that patient confidentiality is gonna apply to me?  Once they find out my secret, they're gonna throw me in a cage.  They're gonna study me."  Panic started to rise again.  Not another cage.  Looking through glass at her crying, pain, PAIN...  
  
"No, Davis, this is not like that.  When I watched you die in that lab, it was like the meteor rock was killing a part of _me._ "  
  
 _Killing a part of me..._  
  
She didn't know it, but more than just his body had died because of that day.  He had unlocked the door of his soul to The Beast.  The only part of him still worth anything was the part she held.  
  
She continued.  "Now, I am not gonna let anything hurt you like that again."  
  
He searched her expression for some sign of the thoughts going on behind her green eyes.  Could that be true?  He wanted to believe her.  He wanted to believe there was a cure.  If that was the case, and he if was cured...could that mean that last night might become more than just a fluke?  
  
No.  
  
It was a false hope and he knew it.  These doctors would strip Chloe from him.  With that safeguard gone, Doomsday would destroy what remained of Davis -- its human shell.  Then the monster would be free to destroy Clark, Metropolis, and anything in its path.  Until it had managed to raze the entire planet.  
  
"Neither will I.  Things have changed, Chloe.  I've had a lot of time to sit down here and think about you, and me, and the feelings I get when I'm around you."  Didn't she know how much she meant to him?  She was everything.  She was his salvation.  "You can save me.  But you're the only one."  He couldn't even depend on himself to hold back the monster without her.  "I can't count on anyone else.  So no doctors."  
  
A complex expression crossed her face, but she agreed.  "No doctors.  I'll see you later."  
  
"Okay, see you."  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe had hoped that she could could convince Davis to see Doctor Emil.  His flat refusal was surprising.  
  
Did he think that what happened between them last night changed things?  
  
No, she couldn't think about that now.  With the spotlight pointed at Davis now thanks to Tess Mercer, she needed to focus on finding a cure.  So if she couldn't bring the actual patient to Doctor Emil, she would bring the next best thing.  She grabbed an empty water bottle from the tray of trash left over from Davis' last meal.  
  
The bottle would hold traces of Davis' saliva she could deliver to Doctor Emil for him to analyze.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis decided to put his review of the Torch articles and yearbooks away for a while.  Chloe would be gone for a few hours working on an Isis project.  Now might be a good time to catch a nap.  After Chloe left him last night, he had been unable to get back to sleep.  Haunting visions of her body on his and the smell of sex and Chloe had lingered in the air and on his skin.  Even after giving himself release twice more after she left, his body had remained keyed up.  
  
Even now, he wasn't relaxed, but he was exhausted.  Exhaustion was a dangerous state for him.  Any form of weakness and the monster would try to strike.  
  
He would force himself to rest.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis dreamed.  
  
"Didn't mean to scare you, pal. I saw your ambulance while I was doing my rounds. Is everything okay back here?" the concerned security guard asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah, yeah," Davis told him.  
  
 _I remember this...this was the day of Chloe's wedding.  The day she married Clark._  
  
No.  Wait.  That was wrong.  Chloe didn't marry Clark.  She married Jimmy.  
  
Unaware of his thoughts, the dream moved forward.  The guard spotted the dark wetness on the ground at Davis feet.  "Hey. That's blood."  The guard opened the dumpster where Davis had just dumped two other corpses.  "Sweet Mary and Joseph. What the hell did you put in there? What did you do?"  
  
Davis remembered what came next.  He tried to chase the man away, tried to save him before the blackout, but the man wouldn't go.  Davis remembered watching in horror as bony spikes grew from his hand.  He had felt so out of control of his own body as Doomsday had taken over and killed the guard.  
  
It was different in the dream.  
  
In the dream, Davis laughed as the spines grew from his human hands.  Hands he would use to kill Chloe's husband, Clark.  But first....  
  
Davis saw himself use his human hands and spines to tear into the unfortunate guard as he heard his own voice howling with...laughter.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis woke up in a cold sweat.  His body ached and pulled as he felt the monster moving inside.  He needed Chloe.  Now.  
  


* * *

  
  
"I can run some preliminary tests on the saliva. But, Chloe, are -- are you sure this is something you want to take on alone?" Doctor Emil Hamilton asked Chloe.  They were sitting in his car outside The Talon.

"I'll be fine. Call me when you get the results," Chloe replied, then got out of the car.  
  
A man swooped down upon her as soon as she turned away from the car.  She choked back a scream when she realized who it was.  "What? Davis, you shouldn't be outside. What's going on?"  She bundled him back out of sight.  
  
He was panting heavily, in a clear state of panic, but he still looked back over his shoulder as Emil's car pulled away.  "Who were you talking to?"  
  
"Look at me. It's fine, okay? Calm down. It's just a friend. Now, you know you're not supposed to be out of the house. What's happening?"  
  
Davis was trying hard to pull himself back together.  "Nothing helps. I tried looking at photos of you, I tried holding strands of your hair -- none of it works. This thing inside me, it starts to claw its way out as soon as you leave."  The words seemed to pain him.  He clearly hated his own weakness, but he held her eyes when he dropped the last sentence.  "Chloe... I can't be away from you now."  
  
She had been wrong.  They weren't running out of time.  
  
Time had already run out.  
  


* * *

 

Davis had his strength and will around himself within moments of being with her, so Chloe carefully walked with him back to The Talon.  She had him raise his hood and keep his head down and told him she would explain once they were safe again.  Davis went along without comment.  She sneaked him past the crowd of coffee patrons, snagging a Daily Planet on the way.  She let out a sigh of relief when she got him down to the relative safety of the basement once more.  
  
Handing him the paper with its large "Cornfield Killer" headline to Davis, she explained.  "You are now Metropolis' own Cornfield Killer. Now, I didn't tell you about this earlier because I didn't want to upset you, but the police are hunting for you as we speak."  Davis put a hand over his mouth, instantly understanding the gravity of the situation.  He sat on the edge of the cot.

"And by accepting your help, I put you directly in their cross hairs," he replied.  
  
She should have guessed he would see this as more of a danger to her than to himself.  She rushed to reassure him.

"Only if someone finds you, which they won't because I won't let that happen."  
  
"But what about when the cops find you?  What then?"  Dammit, she had forgotten as an EMT he would know something about investigation process.  He was right.  it was only a matter of time before they traced his calls and emails to her.  
  
The words, the answer, was out before she knew it.  "Then we leave," she answered simply.  Davis looked up from his spot on the couch in surprise and wonder.  For a second she was happy to see that hope on his face, but then the pain hit her.  She knew what leaving would mean.  She forced it back with her next words.  "We load up the car and never look back."  
  
Davis looked at her with awe.  Then he came back to himself.  He put the paper aside, and broke eye contact.  He was clearly trying to think this through.  Even with his earlier fear and need, he was concerned for her.  "You've done more for me in a few weeks than anyone's done in my entire life. But I can't ask you to run away with me."  His voice sounded hopeful at the end, even under the terrible circumstances.  
  
She moved to sit next to him on the battered couch.  "Then it's a good thing you're not the one asking."  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis met Chloe's eyes.  Determined eyes.  Resolved eyes.  
  
They weren't the dreamy, romantic eyes of a woman running away with her lover.  They were the resolute eyes of a woman intent on protecting someone she cared about.  
  
Could he do this to her?  Could he drag her away from her entire life...for him?  She didn't even love him.  Not like he wanted to be loved.  
  
He got up from the couch and moved away.  Even after everything that had happened, it had to be her choice.  He had unwittingly dragged her away from her home once before when Doomsday kidnapped her to The Fortress.  He refused to do the same thing again, but he couldn't meet her eyes as he gave her the option.  
  
"You wouldn't be able to say goodbye to anyone, not even Clark."  Clark.  Would he be the person she would miss most?  Those images of Chloe and Clark together still felt burned in his mind.  He turned back to Chloe.  "Can you do that?"  His voice sounded raspy to his own ears, but he had to know.  Would she really leave Clark behind -- for him?  The next words said more than he wanted, but again, he had to know.  "Can you honestly tell me that I am the most important person in your life?"  
  
 _Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes..._  
  
Chloe's expression was complex and torn.  The bottom dropped out of his stomach.  The plea in his head ceased and he knew.  
  
 _She is going to say no.  She is going to turn me in._  
  
Something else tickled his mind, hinting that would be a good thing.  Chloe turning away from him would be for the best.  
  
But it **_felt_** so incredibly wrong.  
  
"Davis..."  She rose from her spot on the couch, her look became resolute as she moved to stand in front of him.  "I would do anything for you."  
  
His battered human heart skipped a beat to hear those words from her - a strange echo of words from weeks ago that had nearly shredded him.  
  
Chloe would do anything for him.  She was going to run away with him.  They would be safe.  They would be together.  They may actually have a shot.  
  
She may actually love him.

* * *

  
  
"Well, then maybe this is our chance to start over. Let's leave Smallville," Davis said.  His voice sounded thick.  
  
 _Leave Smallville._ The words echoed in her head even as Chloe shifted her mind to the details.  "Okay.  So, this is actually happening."  
  
Davis looked at her in shock.  He had clearly been expecting her to back down.  That wasn't an option.  She had to protect Davis so he could control Doomsday.  She had to protect Davis to...protect Davis.  That was when it snapped into place.  She needed to protect him for his own sake as much as anyone else's, because she --  
  
Chloe cut off that train of thought.  It wasn't important now.  Details.  Focus on details.  "Um, I just need to close a few accounts and dead-end some paper trails first, but we can be on the road by sundown."  She moved past Davis for the stairs, her head spinning.

"Chloe..."  She spun back at the sound of her name.  Davis took a moment, then spoke.  "I don't know where I'd be without you."  His heart was in his eyes.  
  
She thought there was probably fear in hers.  
  
If -- when -- they did this, what would it mean?  Leaving her life behind.  Leaving her work, friends, and Lois.  Disappearing with this man with the monster inside.  The man that set her blood on fire....and the creature that would love to spill it.  
  
What was she committing herself to?


	110. Chapter 110

Chloe was in the back room of Isis making a last Hail Mary effort to find a cure for Davis.  She had pulled up Doctor Emil Hamilton on her video screens to get his take on Davis' test results.  "I'm down to my last card, Emil, and I really don't want to play it, so please take another look at the samples."  
  
Doctor Hamilton's face was firm and his words spoken with a conviction that caused Chloe's heart to sink.  "His nuclei are in a constant state of mutation. I tried to destroy a cell, and somehow it got stronger."  
  
She moved around the desk to be closer to the screen.  The doctor must not be looking in the right place.  If there was no cure, how was Davis fighting Doomsday back in the first place?  
  
"There has to be a cure.  He's not always a monster. I mean, something is keeping him from transforming."  
  
Now the doctor looked unsure, like he was reaching for an explanation he couldn't quite believe.  "Well, sometimes, dramatic changes to the body are caused by intense emotions -- love, hate... obsession."  
  
Then Davis words from his first night in the basement finally made sense.  She spun away from the screen as the pieces fell together.  
  
 _I won't kill Clark if I'm with you!...There is something about being around you that seems to calm the murderer inside me...It couldn't have guessed at the strength of human emotion...Couldn't know about love and the strength it can give us...I was able to fight the monster inside me because of you...All I know is if I can stay strong, stay in control, I can sometimes keep the monster in check...And nothing makes me more, well -- **ME** \-- than you._  
  
Davis had understood more than even he had guessed.  He knew what worked and how to manipulate factors to hold The Beast at bay, even without knowing how.  His will, his desire to stay human -- because of HER -- had been so strong he had caused actual, physical changes in his body, holding back Doomsday.  Holding back the change.  
  
"Which is why my presence stops him from morphing."  
  
Jimmy hadn't loved her enough to try making their marriage work, but Davis was changing his actual DNA to stay human.  To stay human FOR HER.  Those must be some extremely powerful emotions Davis was channeling to manage such a thing.  
  
Doctor Emil started speaking again from behind her.  "Chloe, this creature puts us all in danger. We need to warn people."  
  
Chloe felt suddenly protective.  Davis was able to do so much, based only on his emotional control.  She would do her own part.  She would protect him as best she could, even if it required her to play dirty.  She left a note of threat enter her firm voice.  "You don't want to do that. You betray me, you betray Davis, and you sure as hell don't want to be on his bad side."  
  
Doctor Emil backed off immediately.  "Fine.  But if you do have this power over him, then it's all on you. You're the only cure."  
  
Then Emil disconnected the call.  
  


* * *

  
  
A distinctive whoosh signaled Clark's appearance behind her.  Tension fairly radiated off of him.  His face was determined and impassioned.  "Chloe, Davis is alive.  I have proof, and I need to find him.  I found the crystal that Brainiac used to release Zod.  I can use it to open up a portal to the Phantom Zone."

Horror overwhelmed her.  How could Clark consider such a thing?  Davis wasn't entirely innocent, but he was a man doing the only thing he could to contain an incredible evil.  He didn't deserve either the living hell of The Phantom Zone, or to be consumed by Doomsday.  
  
Not to mention how such an act would impact Clark.  Chloe had hoped that when the chips finally came down, Clark would be the hero she always saw in him.  Instead he planned to sentence Davis to endless torment in The Phantom Zone.  Clark had somehow manged to convince himself that sending Davis to The Zone wasn't killing, though they both knew it was.  
  
Clark was supposed to save the world.  How could he do that after such an action staining his soul?  
  
"Clark, you can't send Davis there!"  
  
"Chloe, he has killed over 50 people. He put Jimmy in the hospital. There's nothing more I can do for him."  
  
Clark wasn't even going to try to find another way.  
  
 _I'm the only cure._ The words rang in her head.

She couldn't allow this plan to happen.  
  
For Clark.  Or Davis.  
  
"Okay, then maybe I can help. I've been hearing about a string of suspicious murders in Alaska. Now, I didn't pay much attention to them because they weren't trademark Doomsday --"  
  
Clark looked grateful for the lead.  "t's okay. It's a lead. I'll find him."  
  
He turned to go, but she stopped him.  This would be the last time she ever saw Clark.  "Hey, Clark... good luck."  
  
He smiled in reply and was gone.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis didn't really have much to pack.  Only two sets of clothes and a book or two.  A few toiletries.  It filled one backpack and took less than fifteen minutes.  Dying and then being declared a serial killer had already eliminated the need for any goodbyes.  
  
So there was nothing to do now but wait.  
  
Hours passed.  The world outside grew dark and the coffee shop closed.  
  
Everything grew silent.  
  
Then he heard noises from above.  Someone was clattering around Chloe's apartment, but the person wasn't Chloe.  The sounds were wrong.  Unless it was Chloe...and something was wrong...  
  
Memories of the thug attacking Chloe sprang instantly to mind.  
  
With an effort, he kept his human form, but Davis sprang into action.  He grabbed a length of pipe he kept near the bottom of the basement steps.  With the cool metal gripped in his fist, he rushed out of the basement toward the sounds.  He would save her -- as himself this time!  
  


* * *

  
  
A tall blonde man was standing in Chloe's darkened doorway with his back to Davis.  He was talking to someone else inside, but Davis couldn't tell what they were discussing.  It didn't really matter.  Chloe wasn't there and if they were welcome, they would have turned on the lights.  A wave of fear hit Davis.  What if they were planning to lay in wait for Chloe.  To hurt her?  Take her?  Or...worse?  Suddenly, a rage that had nothing to do with Doomsday filled his head, and Davis rushed up behind the closer man.  He brought the pipe down on the his head and the tall form dropped like a stone.  
  
Only after the first man fell, did Davis see the surprised face of his accomplice.  
  
Jimmy.  
  
Crap.  
  
Jimmy would try to stop Chloe from leaving with him.  He couldn't allow that.  Holding onto his dissolving rage, Davis closed upon Chloe's ex-husband and knocked him out too.  
  
Nothing could be allowed to get in the way of him and Chloe getting away.  
  
For his sake, for hers, for...everyone's.  
  


* * *

  
  
_I hope I didn't hit them too hard._  
  
Davis had carried both Jimmy and his companion, who proved to be Oliver, down to the basement.  He tied them to support poles in the back of the basement and sat to keep watch on the would-be burglars.  
  
Or maybe burglar.  He had caught Jimmy red-handed with a wad of cash and the tin that Chloe used to hide it gripped in the boy's hands.  It looked like Oliver just had bad timing, being caught between a robbery and an overprotective....well, him.  The last time Davis had seen Oliver, he had saved the billionaire's life.  Now he had attacked the blonde man and tied him up in a basement.  
  
How things had changed.  
  
Davis tended the wound on the back of Oliver's head, which was more bump than cut.  He felt bad for causing him pain, but he couldn't let Oliver free until he was safely away with Chloe.  
  
Davis couldn't conjure up the same sympathy for Jimmy.  Stealing from Chloe?  Treating her the way he had?  
  
He knew part of him should be grateful the boy was such a screw-up, because it had given Davis his own window with Chloe.  He should even feel guilt for what Doomsday did to him at the wedding.  But he was done feeling anything except annoyance for Jimmy Olsen.  
  
So after confirming the cut on Jimmy's head was superficial, he left it to bleed.  Then Davis settled into the shadows to wait.  To wait for his captives to awake, for Chloe to come, for...hopefully nothing more.

* * *

  
  
After an endless, empty silence in the basement, Oliver awoke and then called for Jimmy until he also awoke.  Jimmy quickly recognized the location.  Davis stayed silent and listened to their conversation, trying to determine how much they knew and if they, or more importantly, Clark had any plans to come after him.  Or to keep Chloe from him.  Only when Oliver implied that Davis might actually _hurt Chloe,_ did he jump in.  
  


"I'd never hurt Chloe.  She, uh..."  His words stumbled.  How could he express everything that Chloe had done for him?  How much she meant to him?  "She -- she saved me."

Jimmy laughed nastily and gave him a more than slightly unstable look.  "No way. Now, Chloe might be a sucker for the strange, but she's not crazy."  He sneered the word _crazy._

Davis felt the darkness in his mind seize on the word _crazy_.  It sent images of Davis laughing, covered in blood.

If he couldn't trust his own mind, his own thoughts, did that make him crazy?

No.  Those were not HIS thoughts.  They were part of Doomsday.  He was perfectly fine when he could hold onto himself.  When Chloe was there.  He had to remember that.  He had to keep calm, keep The Beast contained.

Jimmy was NOT helping.  "Bit of advice -- you really don't want to upset me right now." Sweat broke out all over his skin.

Oliver drew his attention, looking at Davis with a cold sort of condemnation.  "Yeah, trust me, I know. I've seen your horns. You give a whole new meaning to the term Bridezilla."

Jimmy's reaction as he put the pieces together was telling.  Davis had seen the boy look at him with everything from bordering friendship to jealous hatred.  Now he was looking at him with naked horror and fear.  "You're the beast."  The words were torn from him.

The darkness in Davis' mind swirled and laughed in glee at that fear, howling for blood and pain to join the fear.

Davis swallowed hard, fighting back against the darkness.  Then salvation as his phone rang.

Chloe.

_Thank God._

"Hey, Davis, it's me. I'm just on my way home right now."

Davis turned away from his captives, not wanting them to see his weakness, his need for her.  It felt like something private between him and Chloe.  "Chloe, hurry. I can feel myself changing. Please get back here and stop it."

"Chloe, stay away!" Oliver shouted.

Davis turned to him with a fierce glare.  If the blonde man had any idea what he was fighting against he would be praying for Chloe to hurry, not stay away.  Something in the look must have had an impact on the other man, because Oliver quelled.

"Is there someone there with you?" Chloe asked over the phone.

Davis couldn't stand the thought of lying to her, so her gave her the truth...just not all of it.  "Some guys broke into your apartment. I'm holding them here."

"Why did you leave the basement?" she asked, concerned.

"Because I thought you were in danger," he rasped back.  His remembered fear making his voice hiss.

"Okay, you trust me, right? So trust me on this and let them go."

If he did that, they would go right to Clark.  They would try to stop Chloe from coming away with him.  That would put everything at risk. "As soon as we're out of Smallville. Just come home, Chloe. Hurry."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," she replied.

Davis felt a little better for hearing her voice.  He took one of the old theater seats and played and replayed her words in his head, ignoring the captives.  _Chloe was on her way.  Chloe would be here soon._ He could hold on until Chloe got here.

Raspy words broke the silence.  "Why did you do it?"

Davis looked up from his meditations to Jimmy's face.  It had changed from fear to a sort of seething, corrupted hatred -- something as dark and poisonous the the monster within Davis.  It looked very wrong on Jimmy's young face.  Davis ignored the question and went back to repeating Chloe's words in his head, trying to hold on to his humanity.

"Come on. Every killer's got a sob story. You know, I hear that an unhappy childhood, that's -- that's pretty popular."

Unhappy childhood.  This boy had no idea what it had been like for him with the blackouts and fear, but there was no point in explanations.  What he needed now was calm.  "You wouldn't understand."

Jimmy chuckled nastily.  "Of course not, because you, uh... you broody types -- you guys are all so complicated."

_Broody types?  Did the boy really think he had **chosen** to be like this?  That he **chose** to lurk in a basement like some god-damn Phantom of the Opera?_

Oliver sensed the tension coiling in Davis and tried to calm Jimmy.  "Jimmy, come on, man. Chill out."

Jimmy would have no parts of that.  He snarled back, "No! No, that monster destroyed my life and brainwashed Chloe, and now he's trying to ruin hers, too!"

That hit a nerve, in part because it felt true.  Did Chloe really have a choice in this?  Had all this been his fault and he was just dragging her along?

Then he remembered last night.  She had come to him of her own free will.  She had given herself to him, even knowing what he was.  "You have no idea what Chloe really wants! We have to be together."

She was his rock, his raft in raging waters, the only thing that gave him the strength to hold on. He needed her...and a part of her seemed to need him too.

But Jimmy's words couldn't be unsaid, the thoughts that came from them unmade.  The darkness swirling in him turned on Davis, latching onto the small kernel of doubt thrown there by Jimmy and began to feed.

Oliver jumped in again, seeing the situation becoming more precarious.  "Davis, hey. Hey, man, look, I know what it's like to Jones after a girl. Really, I do, but you can hold on a little bit longer, okay?  You have to.  Chloe's on her way."

The darkness in his mind was washing him in images of blood and rage.  He had let his control slip, let Jimmy's words cut into his calm, and Chloe was still too far away.  Without Chloe there was only one way to keep Doomsday at bay...

His voice came out strange and tense and excited as the blood pulsed in his veins and blackness swirled in his mind.  "Oh, I hope so. I really do, because if she's not, the only way that I can control myself is if I kill one of you."  It didn't sound like him at all.  He should be horrified, not so excited about...the sacrifice.

Sacrifice.

No!

Davis stopped and closed his eyes, fighting the darkness, fighting the monster's twisted mechanations within.  Davis forced himself to breathe in his nose and out his mouth like he did during his meditations.

"Then kill me..."  Jimmy's words rasped out softly, harshly.  "Because you've taken everything from me. All that's left is scar tissue."  Davis turned to meet the boy's twisted, hate-filled face.  He clearly did not understand -- or maybe was unwilling -- to see the danger.

Oliver spoke softly, but his words were firm.  "Jimmy, that's enough."

Jimmy continued his assault, prodding even more at all the sore places in Davis.  "What are you, anyways? Because you're sure as hell not human."

_Not human._

His control slipping further, Davis snapped at Jimmy.  "Stop talking."

Could Chloe ever come to love him, knowing what he was?  Had last night just been a fluke?  A moment of weakness?

Then as if echoing Davis' own thoughts, Jimmy hit his deepest fear.  "Do you really think Chloe could ever love you? Whatever lies that you told her...she's gonna find out the truth eventually, and when she does..."

NO!  He was still a man, he could still win her love!  He wasn't the creature Doomsday was trying to make him into!  He wasn't a killer!

So why were his hands around Jimmy's throat?  Jimmy's accusing, hate-filled eyes shooting daggers into him.

Why were his hands moving over Jimmy's eyes?

_...eyes that had seen Chloe naked and beautiful...eyes that should be as dark as the twisted thing within himself..._

Davis' vision went red.

Oliver was shouting at him, but Davis barely heard it.  He was sinking fast into the darkness.  The monster had won, and Davis wasn't entirely sure it would be satisfied with just the one death, even as terrible as the monster would make it.

But at least it would take Jimmy's evil eyes with it...

Then one word snapped him back.  The only thing that could break the monster's hold...

_Chloe._

"Chloe's never gonna forgive you for that!"

The words stopped him cold.  _Chloe's never gonna forgive you_ _._  Oliver had hit on the one thing he couldn't bear, even in the blood haze.  He couldn't risk losing Chloe.

"You're right. You mean too much to Chloe." He released Jimmy.  The boy looked sad to be spared.  Ungrateful bastard.  Davis knocked him out with a single, swift punch to the side of the head.  He wished the violence could have ended there, but it had gone too far.  The monster, the darkness, were just under the surface.  Davis felt the red burn just behind his eyes.  It had to be done.  Now.  Or many more would die.  He turned to Oliver.  "It has to be you."

" Davis."  Oliver said his name with fear.

Davis knew what was happening, but couldn't think of a way to stop it.  He was in his right mind again, but the monster seethed below the surface.  Davis knew that he couldn't contain it much longer.  The Beast needed blood.  And he, Davis, was going to give it to the creature.  After everything he had been through, he was a monster now too.

Chloe must never know.

"Sometimes the monster really does get the girl."

Davis gripped the throat of his first innocent.  He would be a true killer after this.  Not just taking a life, but an innocent one.  Knowingly.  He knew it was pointless, but a part of him still wanted absolution.

"I'm sorry."

Then he began to squeeze Oliver's throat.


	111. Chapter 111

The door to the Talon basement burst inward in a swirl of blue and red.  
  
Clark's hands grabbed Davis and dragged him away from Oliver.  The big Kryptonian slammed him against a hot water heater, which crumpled under with the impact.  
  
"Where's Chloe?" Clark shouted into his face.  
  
The question surprised Davis.  Clark had just stopped him from killing Oliver, but his first question was about Chloe?  
  
 _Did Clark have feelings for Chloe?_  
  
Images swirled to life in Davis' head.  Clark with his arm easily draped over Chloe's shoulders...Clark holding her close...Clark kissing her...  
  
 _No!  They weren't real!_  
  
Davis fought back the images, but his voice still held an edge when he met the big man's eyes.  "What are you gonna do to me, Clark?"  
  
A strange expression crossed Clark's face before he twisted them around at superspeed.  Davis tried to break the other man's iron grip, but his leverage was all wrong.  Feeling angry and helpless, Clark dragged him away at superspeed.  
  


* * *

  
  
The unexpected delay of the FBI agents had cost Chloe precious time.  Davis had clearly been unstable.  The last thing she needed was a pair of agents sniffing around when she was trying to get back to him.  
  
A wave of relief swept through her when she finally pulled up in front of The Talon.  No signs of monster attack on the outside of the building.  
  
Her relief was short lived, for once she went inside, the coffee shop was a hive of activity.  
  
She paused, looking around a moment.  Then she saw Jimmy being wheeled on a gurney and her heart jumped into her throat.  
  
 _Some guys broke into your apartment. I'm holding them here._  
  
Davis' words not long before.  Had Davis mistaken Jimmy coming to see her as a threat?  Had Davis feared for their plans to leave when Jimmy showed up?  
  
Had Davis...snapped?  
  
One of the people pushing the gurney was Doctor Emil Hamilton.  She rushed to him.  "Was Davis holding Jimmy in the basement?"  
  
"They're lucky to be alive," Emil replied.  
  
Oh God.  This was all her fault.  She shouldn't have left Davis alone, knowing how fragile he was.  She should have found a way to complete all her business and set a false trail without leaving him.  She should have...  
  
Oliver interrupted her thoughts.  "You know, Chloe, I thought about calling the police. Instead, I figured I'd give you a chance to explain yourself before I let them haul you off to prison for harboring a serial killer."  
  
She didn't really register Oliver's words, her mind still spinning.  "I shouldn't have left Davis here alone. This would never have happened if I was here. This is all my fault."  
  
Oliver held her eyes for a long silent moment.  "When did you become one the bad guys, huh?" he asked her, his expression hard.  
  
Was she?  Was she one of the bad guys?  Had she made the wrong call hiding Davis?  Protecting him?  
  
No, that wasn't the mistake.  The mistake was in leaving him.  
  
"For whatever reason, I calm the beast inside him. He needed me," she told Oliver.  Guilt ate at her.  
  
" _He needed you_. So, the needs of the cornfield killer outweigh the needs of the rest of the world. Is that it?"  
  
Oliver clearly didn't understand.  She had helped Davis control the monster.  She had been keeping the world safe, but she didn't have time to go into that now.  "Oliver, it's complicated."  She moved to go past Oliver.  She had to get to him.  She had to get to Davis.  
  
He stopped her, blocking her path.  "No, it's complicated, yeah. That's the same thing your psychopathic boyfriend told me."  
  
Tears began to form in her eyes, but she fought them.  "Look, either I keep him with me or let innocent people die."  
  
"Oh, come on -- Chloe, if you really believed that, you would have handled things a little bit differently, don't you think? Instead, what do you do? You cook him dinner, you fluff his pillow, you rock him to sleep."  
  
She tried not to think about how much of that was true.  
  
"Okay, look, I understand what it looked like from the outside, but trust me, I had the whole thing under control."  She moved past Oliver to the apartment stairs, unwilling to let him delay her any longer.  She had to find Davis.  With all these people moving up from the basement, he clearly wasn't going to be down there.  Maybe he would have left her a clue upstairs in the apartment.  
  
"Chloe, you didn't have anything under control! Speaking as Davis' next victim, I can tell you, your plan was seriously flawed!"  His shouted words stopped her.  His voice was softer now, but no less accusatory.  "How did you think this was gonna end, Chloe?"  
  
Had Davis really almost killed Oliver?  No, that couldn't be right.  He had known she was on her way, why would he move to kill again?  
  
Unless Davis' control was more tenuous than he had been letting on...  
  
"I'll find him, okay? I'll fix this," she told Oliver.  She had to fix this...  
  
"No. You won't. I think you've done enough. We'll let Clark handle it from here."  He turned away from her.  
  
Clark?  
  
"Wait, Oliver. Where is Clark?"  She rushed after him.  
  
Oliver turned to face her.  "Well, he took Davis. He's finally gonna finish this."  
  
If Clark took Davis, that would mean...  
  
The Phantom Zone.  
  
 _Oh no._


	112. Chapter 112

Clark came to a sudden stop from superspeed and threw Davis down to the icy floor of the crystal fortress.  Snow and ice chips shot up into the air, catching in his hair and clothes.

  
Davis knew this place.  This was where Not-Chloe had trapped him for his "training."  This was the place that was supposed to kill his human self and unleash the monster.  
  
Why had Clark brought him here?  Had Clark brought him here to finish killing him off?  Darkness swirled in his mind again.  
  
 _So he could have Chloe all to himself..._  
  
Well, if that was the case, he was welcome to try.  Davis wasn't the same man he had been all those months ago.  He had seen and done too much since then to allow Clark to break him.  He wouldn't give up without a fight.  The Beast's rage was still just under the surface of his skin, making his voice harsh as he climbed back to his feet to face the other Kryptonian.  "I don't care if this place trapped me once before. You want to throw down with me, good luck."  
  
They began circling each other like a pair of hunting cats.  Wary.  Never letting the other leave line of sight.  
  
"I didn't come here looking for a fight," Clark told him, despite all evidence to the contrary.  The large man stopped pacing.  Davis mirrored the action.  "This fortress can help you. It's all that's left of our planet."  
  
Wait.  What?  Davis looked around the crystal fortress with new eyes and sudden comprehension.  
  
That was why this place had been able to trap him.  That was why Not-Chloe had sought to "train" him here.  This place wasn't of Earth.  
  
"How did a piece of Krypton get here?" Davis asked.  
  
"My father created it using Kryptonian technology. It'll send you to a world where you don't have to hide who you are any longer."  
  
He wouldn't have to fight every minute of every day to control the monster.  He could let the monster break free and not hurt anyone.  
  
Tears started to well in his eyes at the thought.  He could live with Chloe and...  
  
Wait.  
  
No.  
  
If it was a world safe to release The Beast it would be...  
  
"A world without Chloe?"  
  
His eyes flashed to catch Clark's.  Clark didn't reply, just tightened his jaw, looking resolute.  
  
Suddenly he understood.  This world Clark spoke of was not a salvation.  It was a prison.  
  
He'd never see Chloe again.  Never bask in the warmth of smile.  Never again hear the sound of her laugh.  Never burn under the fire of her touch.  
  
The Beast, so long denied, surged to the surface, sensing weakness in Davis' resolve.  
  
His vision went red, before Davis hardened himself and pushed back.  
  
No.  He couldn't do it.  Not again.  He wouldn't die again.  
  
He wouldn't be separated from her again.  
  
"No, you better have a Plan B because I'm not losing her."  Davis found himself pacing like a caged animal.  
  
"If you truly cared about her, you would let her go."  Clark intoned, sounding very self-righteous.  
  
Did Clark think that he had been keeping Chloe prisoner?  Did the big man think that he had been forcing Chloe to help him?  He had never, and would never, force Chloe to do anything against her will.  He loved her too much.  
  
 _What a sanctimonious ass._  
  
Clark didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Chloe.

"You got it all wrong, Clark. She chose to protect me."  Clark's lecturing posture faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered.  Davis continued, tearing away at the other man's misconceptions.  "It was her idea for us to leave Smallville forever."  
  
"Chloe would have done that for anyone. She believes in second chances."  Clark paused, licking his lips, then continued again.  "She doesn't actually have feelings for you."  
  
Everything suddenly became as clear as the images in his head.  Clark would do anything to tear Chloe away from him.  He wanted her all for himself!  Clark wanted to be the man holding her, kissing her, touching her...  
  
The other man wouldn't even consider there might be something real between him and Chloe.  
  
Chloe had come to him last night, even knowing what he was.  She had taken him into her arms and body.  And her heart too, if he guessed right. Clark probably wouldn't listen to anything he had to say, but he had to try.  He had to make the other man understand.  
  
"Why? Because of what I am? I didn't want this, Clark. I even killed myself to try to escape this life, but the darkness -- it doesn't come out when Chloe's around. She makes me... human."  
  
The big man held his gaze for a long moment, then turned away.  Davis felt his heart sink.  Clark pulled an amethyst-colored crystal from a formation with a ringing sound.  
  
Holding the purple crystal like a weapon, Clark challenged, "What happens when that changes?"  
  
 _He wants me to fail.  He wants me to slip into the darkness._  
  
"It won't."  Davis didn't know why, but that purple crystal scared him, as did the hard look in Clark's eyes.  Something bad was coming.  He gave negotiation one last try.  Clark had once said they should be brothers.  He pleaded with Clark on what he hoped would be common ground.   "Look, she is my chance to be happy. Why can't my own Kryptonian brother let me have that?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Davis. I was wrong. We're not brothers."  Clark moved to stand before a glowing crystal structure, holding the wicked purple shard in a fist.  
  
"Clark..." Davis pleaded one last time.  He didn't want this.  He didn't want any of this.  Clark had always had the better life.  He had grown up with a family, surrounded by friends, while Davis was shuffled from place to place, his own mind and body turning against him.  But even with all Clark's blessings, it wasn't enough.  Clark's lust for Chloe wouldn't let Davis just walk away.  He wouldn't let them be happy.  He was determined to see Davis out of his way.  Davis saw it in the other Kryptonian's eyes.  They stayed hard and resolute as Clark pulled back his arm to plunge the amethyst crystal in with the others.  
  
Instinct -- his or Doomsday's, he was never sure which -- told him he had to stop whatever it was Clark was doing.  He tapped Doomsday for superspeed and wrestled away Clark's wielding arm.  Using that momentum, Davis followed through, tossing Clark across the room.  The big man crashed into a greyish crystal formation that splintered under the impact.  
  
Davis had hoped that would deter him, but Clark rose quickly to his feet.  "I don't want to hurt you, Davis."  
  
The only thing that could hurt him now was losing Chloe, and he wasn't going to allow that.  He hadn't tapped Doomsday for power in weeks, but now he let the monster's anger and strength course through his body.  Davis exalted in the power for a moment.  "Don't worry. You can't."  He closed on the other Kryptonian.  
  
To his surprise, Clark's punch hit him square on, sending Davis across the room.  He shattered a crystal formation of his own, and lay for a moment, stunned.  He hadn't really expected Clark to have power to match his, though he realized instantly the flaw in his logic.  Clark was Kryptonian too.  He would naturally have the same powers Davis could, and he wouldn't be limited by needing to tap into another part of himself like Davis did by tapping Doomsday.  
  
Davis climbed stiffly back to his feet as a high ringing sound and a pulsing reddish light filled the room.  An instinctive fear hit Davis again.  Fast on the heels of the emotion, Doomsday surged up into his vision, turning everything from reddish to the brilliant scarlet of blood.  Clark stood before the crystal structure, which glowed with an evil light.  
  
A huge brilliantly swirling portal pulsed behind him.  
  
The opening to the other world where Clark wanted to trap him.  
  
Leaving Chloe alone here.  Alone...with Clark.  
  
No!  
  
Davis climbed to his feet, the rage and darkness swirling inside him.  He might not be able to defeat Clark without letting the monster loose, but even to save himself, he wouldn't do that again.  But that didn't mean he would let the other man win either.  "If I go, I'm taking you with me."  He closed on the big man again, but this time instead of going for a swing, he seized Clark, setting a firm hold.  He didn't need to fight the other man, he only needed to hold him and the portal would take them both.  Clark grappled against him, trying to break free, but he couldn't tear away from Davis' grip.  Holding tight to Clark's jacket, he lifted a hand to grab Clark's throat and force them both back towards the portal, when a new bright flash appeared.  
  
It was Chloe.  
  
As it always did in her presence, the monster was forced back.  Davis' grip on Clark loosened.  The big man looked surprised as Davis' strength melted away, back to human levels.  Suddenly the pain of the fight hit his now-human body, and Davis found himself collapsing to the icy ground at Clark's feet.  Clark spun, turning to face what Davis had seen.  
  
Chloe looking like an avenging angel in a brilliant pink coat, righteous anger clear on her face.  A metallic disc flashed in her palm.  
  
Clark looked horrified to see her.  "Chloe, what are you doing?"  
  
"I can't let you do this."  her voice was firm and uncompromising.  She turned toward the glowing crystals and pulled the purple shard from within.  Instantly the sucking portal closed.  Without the terrible pressure of the portal, Davis was able to climb back to his feet, panting.  
  
"This is the right choice, Chloe. Trust me," Clark told her, holding her blazing gaze.  
  
"Trust you?"  Chloe challenged.  She advanced on Clark, her expression hard with reproachful fury.  "Clark, the only reason why you won't kill him is because you don't want blood on your hands. I can't believe you were willing to force him into a life of hell for all of eternity."  Clark looked away from her, guiltily.  He couldn't stand against the truth of her words.  
  
Feeling more sure on his feet again, Davis moved to Chloe's side.  His angel had come to rescue him again.  She could not have been any more magnificent to his eyes if she had been wearing gleaming armor and wielding a sword.  
  
Her attention stayed on Clark, though, keeping the big man pinned under accusing, angry eyes.  "Clark... I know you better than anyone. I can't let you do this. You would never forgive yourself for giving up on him."  
  
Clark stood where he was, silently watching them as Davis moved with Chloe to the crystal formation.  Chloe held the metal disc in her palm and plunged her arm into the nest of crystal.  With a flash of blue-white light, they disappeared.


	113. Chapter 113

When the brilliant light receded, Davis found himself in a cave with Chloe.  There was a table that bore Kryptonian writing and more writing on the walls.  He wanted to explore, but Chloe had pocketed the strange metal disc, and grabbed his hand.  
  
"We have to get out of here.  Now."  
  
Davis heard the words that she had left unsaid.  _Before Clark changes his mind and comes after us..._  
  
She hurried him through the caves and out into the dawning light of a new day, dragging Davis behind.  His mind was reeling.  Against all odds, Chloe had come for him.  He didn't know how she had known how, but she had used some sort of Kryptonian teleportation to reach the Fortress.  To save him.  She had stood before Clark and defended Davis, rescued him from what was apparently an endless hell.  
  
She had chosen him over Clark.  
  
The darkness within, that was always scratching and clawing at him, leaving him raw and sore, suddenly closed over.  
  
When the odds were stacked against them, she had chosen him.  Not Clark.  Not Jimmy.  Not even the life she knew and loved.  
  
She could have let Clark throw him into that terrible prison.  The world would have been safer if she had, but she had chosen him.  
  
He knew it then, even if she didn't.  
  
She loved him.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe dragged Davis out to the nondescript tan SUV she had purchased for cash earlier in the day.  They would sell it again in a few days,as they would all subsequent vehicles until they found somewhere safe.  Until they disappeared.  
  
She climbed into the driver's seat.  Davis wouldn't know the way from here, but she did.  She would get them out of Smallville, out of Kansas as fast -- but as quietly -- as they could.  
  
She tried not to think about everything she was leaving behind.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis was a silent presence beside her in the passenger seat.  They had been on the road for hours, but neither of them had said a word.  The heaviness in her heart choked any words long before they reached her lips.  Sensing her distress, Davis kept silent, a warm and stolid bulwark for her.  He seemed to be able to sense when her courage was failing her, because he would reach his hand across the empty seat between them and take her own.  His warmth and reassurance kept her foot pressing down firmly on the accelerator as they passed first a sign that said, _You are now leaving Smallville_ , and then again when they passed one that read, _You are now leaving Kansas._  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe was careful about choosing their route.  She completely avoided highways or other areas that might have traffic cameras or police presence.  They stayed on small, lightly traveled roads with only a few small towns along the way.  Routes like that were common in such a large, sparsely populated state as Kansas.  They would have more difficultly staying undetected once they hit more populated states.  
  
She would worry about that later.  
  
As it was, they had to pull over for gas.  Chloe chose a small, out-of-the way station.  Nothing about it looked like it had been installed since the last century.  They didn't even have credit card readers on the pumps.  
  
It was perfect.  
  
"Davis, why don't you go in and grab us some food.  All this driving has left my blood seriously low on caffeine and sugar."  
  
He smiled.  "Alright."  He paused a moment, then tentatively offered, "And I can drive for a while too.  You must be exhausted."  
  
She gave him a small smile.  "That would be nice."  She gave him some money to pay for the gas and food.  He made his way into the small shop.  
  
She filled the tank quickly, but Davis was still inside.  He appeared to be happily chatting with the night clerk.  She smiled sadly at the sight.  He looked happy and alive in a way she had so rarely seen while hiding him.  She guessed being free and able to talk to a person, even if they were just a clerk, felt wonderful to him.  
  
She wished she could talk to someone.  No.  Not just someone.  She wanted to talk to her best friend.  If he still was that.  She wanted to talk to Clark.  
  
She pulled out the burner phone she had also purchased that day.  She had paid extra for call blocking on it.  Why had she done that if she hadn't intended to use it?  
  
The answer was obvious.  She had known she would use it.  Davis had said no goodbyes, but she had known she couldn't do that.  She had programmed in exactly two numbers.  Lois...and Clark.  A pang hit her when she realized that her father hadn't been one of the people she had even considered adding.  He wasn't someone she needed to say goodbye to.  He had said goodbye to her years before.   
  
And certainly no Jimmy.  After everything that had happened, after her choosing to leave with Davis...no.  Jimmy would definitely not want to hear from her.  
  
But Clark?  Maybe...  
  
Before she could think of all the very good reasons, she shouldn't do it, she hit the speed dial she had programmed in for Clark.  
  
He picked up after one ring.  "Who is this?" Clark asked.  
  
"Clark, it's Chloe. I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay."  
  
"Chloe? Where are you?"  She heard the concern in his voice.

"Davis and I are gone, but please don't try and find us, okay?  We're fine."

"You think that you're safe, Chloe, but you aren't.  You're not safe with him."

"I'm sure everyone's fitting me for a straight jacket right now, but, Clark, I do know what I'm doing. And I knew that if I told you any sooner that you would have found a way to stop me, so..."  She had to believe this was the right thing.  "Look, everything I've ever done, right or wrong, I did for you."

"By running away? Admit it, Chloe. You have feelings for Davis. That's why you're protecting him."  
  
That had been about the last thing she expected Clark to say.  Confused, she puzzled out the reason for Clark's words.  Why would he care if she _did_ have feelings for Davis?  Was it that born-enemies thing coming through?  Whatever it was, it was irrelevant.  
  
Her feelings for Davis were only part of the reason she had done everything she did.  Even if she hadn't cared for him, she would protect Davis because he was the key to containing Doomsday.  Sending Davis to the Zone was not an option.  It was wrong to send him to that living hell.  It was worse than murder.   She knew that eventually Clark would come to see the truth of that, and she couldn't let him bear that stain on his soul.

"Clark, I'm protecting you. I meant what I said. Condemning Davis to a life as that monster is worse than killing him."

"But what about you, Chloe? Chloe, I'm gonna spend every second looking for you. I will find a way to save you."  
  
It was such a Clark thing to say.  He still thought he could save everyone.  "Clark, you're not here to save one person. You're here to save all of us."  She hoped that with her gone, there would still be someone there to remind him of that.  Maybe Lois...

"And you think sacrificing yourself will help me do that. Chloe, you're wrong. You're wrong, Chloe."  His voice was very firm and forceful.  Clark's moral compass may have been wavering recently, but now he seemed to have the arrow pointing true north.  
  
The problem was he was wrong.  She knew what she had to do.  Earlier today she had been unsure, even after suggesting they run away.  But now, she knew.  She had known since Emil had told her how Davis held back the changes.  
  
For her.  
  
It was no big thing really, leaving her life behind.  Not to save the souls of the two men most important to her.  
  
She just had to make Clark understand.  "I must have thrown a million green rocks away, and I have never really saved you. Now I can."  
  
Was it wrong to be so torn?  She was glad to save them, but ached with the goodbye.  Tears that had been clouding her vision finally started to roll down her checks.

"Chloe, listen to me. This is your life that we're talking about. Don't do this."  
  
"Clark, if there's one lesson I've learned from you, it's that choosing the greater good is never a sacrifice."  
  
Her throat closed off with sobs that she needed to choke down.  She heard Clark cry her name once more.

She hung up the phone.  
  
She let the tears fall from her eyes for a long moment.  She needed to call Lois too, but not now.  Davis would be back out soon and she couldn't let him see her cry.  
  
He was her life now.  
  
Just then she heard the screen door of the little shop slam closed.  Davis had finished his shopping and chatting and was heading back to the car.  She hurriedly wiped the tears from her cheeks.  
  
"Hey," he greeted her.

Her voice was husky as she replied.  "Hey."

He paused, dipping a hand into one of the plastic bags that dangled on his wrist.  He pulled out a red foil wrapped chocolate heart lollipop.  "You said that, uh, road trips give you a sweet tooth, so..."  
  
It was such a sweet, unexpected gesture that she smiled.  She took the candy from him with a sincere, "Thank you."  Even after all the horror of the day, he still knew just the right thing to do.  
  
Still, he didn't press her for more, instead switching conversation to the task at hand.  "Well, we better get moving if we want to hit the border by morning."  
  
The border.  That would put a full state between her and her old life.  That would be best.  She smiled at Davis.  "Let's disappear."  
  
They climbed into the SUV again, this time with Davis at the wheel.


	114. Chapter 114

A part of Chloe sensed the change in the movement of the car, but she was too tired to care.  She just rubbed her cheek into the fabric of Davis' hoodie under her that she had balled into a makeshift pillow.  She fell back into a deep sleep again almost instantly.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe roused again slightly to the sound of the car door opening.  She grumbled as the dome light shone through her closed eyes.  She felt Davis unlatching her seatbelt, then lifting her in his arms.  She instantly relaxed again at the warm comfort of his strong arms carrying her as if she were a child.  She burrowed her face into the warm muscles of his shoulder, inhaling his scent.  The last coherent thought she had before falling under again was he was a much better pillow than his hoodie.  
  


* * *

  
  
Looking down at Chloe sleeping so innocently in his arms, Davis felt his heart constrict.  She was so incredibly precious to him.  He still couldn't believe everything she had done for him.  Still couldn't believe she loved him.  
  
He knew now that she did, even if she wasn't ready to admit it yet.  That was alright though, he could wait.  She was his now.  
  
He gently pushed open the motel room door.  He had chosen a room farthest away from other guests, so they were less likely to be seen and less likely to be bothered.  He hadn't thought to ask if it had one bed or two.  
  
It had one.  
  
He wondered briefly if he should go back and ask for two beds, but then he looked down at Chloe again.  One of her small hands had firmly curled into the soft cotton of his t-shirt with a surprisingly firm grip.  Her head was perfectly tucked into his shoulder.  His arms tightened around her protectively.  
  
She clearly wanted closeness, even in sleep.  So he would give it to her tonight.  Tomorrow he would let her decide on two beds or one.  Tonight she needed him with her.  
  
He didn't release her as he kicked off first one shoe then the other.  Sitting on the edge of the bed, he shifted his grip on her to free his hands while keeping her secure with his upper arms.  She grumbled slightly, but didn't wake.  He carefully and slowly teased her own shoes off.  Rising again, he pulled the covers back, and slowly stretched them both out under the blankets of the single bed.  Her back to his front, Chloe pressed back into him as much as possible.  She let out a sigh of pure contentment in her sleep before her breathing returned to an even pattern.  The sensation of her rounded backside pressing into him, caused his body to react, but Davis ignored it, concentrating on the pleasure of being in a real bed again with Chloe.  
  
They hadn't slept together like this since that wonderful week together a lifetime ago.  
  
He wanted to stay awake and enjoy the sensation longer, but his own eyes were heavy and soon his breathing was a slow and relaxed as hers.  
  
For the first time in weeks, his sleep was dreamless.


	115. Interlude 12

Chloe blinked awake.  A shaft of sunlight had made its way between two of the shades and was hitting her directly in the eyes.  
  
Her first thought was confusion.  
  
Sunlight?  Had she missed her alarm?  
  
Then she realized that she wasn't alone in the bed.  A heavy arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her back against a warm and wonderfully firm body.  His deliciously clean and slightly musky scent filled her nostrils as she took a deep breath.  _Davis._ Wrapped in his body and scent, Chloe instantly relaxed.  Her eyes slid closed again on a sigh.  
  
 _What a nice dream..._  
  
Ignoring the sunlight, she smiled and snuggled back deeper into Davis' warmth.  Her movements must have awakened him slightly.  A hardness was now pressing into her backside, and warm lips trailed along her neck.  She released a sigh of pure contentment and pressed back against him more, loving the remembered feel of him, even through their very uncomfortable pajamas.  
  
She frowned.  _Why were their dream clothes uncomfortable?_  
  
She reach over her shoulder to find Davis' head where he was nibbling and licking at the delicate skin by her ear.  A shiver of pleasure ran through her.  She ran her hand over the short, but surprisingly soft texture of his hair as his hands started roaming her body.  One warm hand found her breast and cupped it through the fabric of her shirt and bra.  Her nipple hardened under his touch.  His other hand smoothed over her rounded hips and thighs.  Chloe found her legs unconsciously shifting as her body flowed with a delicious warmth.  
  
Part of her was starting to think this wasn't a dream, but she pushed the annoying voice of reason away.  This felt too good.  
  
Her free hand moved back between them to trace the shape of his hardness pressing into her backside.  
  
One of Davis' hands was now working at the button and zipper of her jeans.  When they were open, his hand slid inside and cupped her heated core through her panties.  She gasped out in pleasure and rubbed herself against his palm, seeking friction against her aching place.  
  
"Yes..." she purred.  
  
She could feel Davis' hot breaths coming faster in her ear.  His nimble fingers slid the cotton of her panties aside and slid a finger smoothly into the warm wetness of her sex.  
  
Chloe gasped, arching her back and pressing herself against him.  Davis teased her with fingers plunged into her, alternating with flicks and pressing on her clit, until she was frantically riding the motions of his hand.  
  
She knew now this was no dream, but it had been so long since she had felt this good without some sort of emotional trauma beforehand.  Waking together as they had, her mind hadn't had time to get rolling before being shut off by primal need.  
  
Her body grew tighter and tenser, contracting all the muscles in her lower body as the orgasm built in her.  Davis knew she was just about over that edge, so he shifted position slightly, so her pulsing hips moved against the hardness still contained by his jeans.  That gave her a wonderful friction to counterpoint with his fingers swirling and pressing her clit.  The combined sensation sent her over the edge.  As she burst apart, he kept her pinned between the hardness of his body and his fingers, still moving in her.  
  
Her body was still shuddering, when she felt Davis tugging her jeans down over her hips.  She could feel the rough fabric of his pants against her bare skin for just a moment, before she heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper lowering.  A moment later she felt the smooth velvet and steel of him prodding at her wet entrance.  
  
Chloe threw back her head in combined ecstasy and anticipation.  She heard herself cry out, "Oh God!  Yes!" as Davis slid smoothly into her.  
  
There was nothing quite like the moment when he entered her, filling her with his full, heavy thickness.  Her body accommodating his and pulling, welcoming him deeper.  She heard herself crying out again as he moved in her in long, fully measured strokes, letting her take his full length before sliding smoothly out again to repeat the motion.  She moved her legs to give him more access, and he wrapped his own over her, holding her with legs spread wide as he plundered her.  The position made her feel both vulnerable and protected with his body so wrapped around hers, while still leaving her exposed.  It didn't take long for her body to start racing back towards orgasm, but Davis playing her body masterfully.  He kept her hovering on the edge for an eternity with his steady, full strokes, as her body nearly sizzled with pent up electricity.  
  
Her wordless cries started taking on a frantic note as he held her trapped in unbroken, hovering intensity.  
  
She heard his harsh voice in her ear.  "Please, say my name, Chloe.  I love you, but I only need you to say my name."  
  
"Davis!" his name screeched out of her as he finally pulsed into a hard, fast, pulsing rhythm.  
  
Fireworks burst behind her eyes as her body went mad.  The next few moments burst over her in a flood of white.  Davis' voice seemed to come from far away, crying out her own name and she felt hot liquid surge into her as he came.  The feeling sent her over again.  
  
For a moment she thought she might die.  
  
If she did, she would go happily.  
  
Afterwards, Chloe drifted.  Occasional aftershocks causing her body to shiver delightfully, but there was a strange sort of anonymity to the whole experience.  She hadn't seen his face the entire time, but had been wrapped in him.  His body and scent around her, his fullness in her.  It made the whole experience very surreal.  She floated, still surrounded and filled by him.  Lost, far away on a sea of pleasure.  A few random thought moved across her consciousness, but she paid them little heed.  Most were too vague to really quality as thoughts.  Only one really had any substance, and when she recognized it, she pushed it away.  
  
That thought could ruin everything.  
  
After all, everyone she had ever loved had left her.  
  
She felt him press a dry, gentle kiss on her temple and unlatch his legs from around hers, though he didn't leave her body.  
  
"Go back to sleep, Chloe.  We have time."  
  
She slept.


	116. Chapter 116

Chloe awoke again.  She didn't know how long she had been asleep this time, but the light outside was clearly fading.  
  
And Davis still had her wrapped in his arms, his body in hers.  
  
So...that part hadn't been a dream.  
  
She carefully extricated herself from him, waking him in the process.  She felt his heavy dark eyes on her as she retrieved the pieces of her clothing that had been discarded earlier.  She slipped them back on without ever meeting Davis' gaze.  
  
"I brought your bag in.  It's next to the door," Davis told her with no intonation to his voice.  
  
"Thank you," she responded, grabbing the strap of the bag and disappearing into the bathroom.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe stood under the hot flow of the shower head, letting the water and heat wash over her.  
  
 _If only it could wash away the last 24 hours..._  
  
Then she remembered the feel of Davis moving in her, wrapped around her, but quickly pushed the thought away.  
  
She hadn't awoken intending to have sex with him.  In fact, at first she had thought it was just another heated dream.  However, when she did realize it was no dream, she hadn't stopped it.  Hadn't even considered stopping it.  To be completely honest, she had practically begged him for it.  
  
But was it right?  
  
Was it a betrayal to the people she left behind to do that with him?  Was it wrong to find something good in this terrible situation?  Was she a bad person for taking pleasure from him?  They had left everything behind and were feeling lost and alone, with only each other.  After all she had done that had led to this moment, was it wrong to...use him that way?  
  
And you know what he is.  
  
Oliver's words in The Talon, words she hadn't really heard at the time came back to her _...A serial killer...Speaking as Davis' next victim...You cook him dinner, you fluff his pillow, you rock him to sleep._  
  
Was she a monster too for sleeping with a monster?  
  
She cut that thought off fast.  She spun the knob to stop the flow of water.  They needed to get moving.  
  


* * *

  
  
"He took me.  He took me, and you came for me, Chloe.  You came for me against Clark."  
  
Davis' words were soft, but had an intensity that snapped Chloe out of her drifting thoughts.  
  
She turned to look at him.  They were driving through the night again.  The small local road only had a few mostly dim houses along the way, so Davis' face was mainly lit by starlight.  
  
"Yes," she replied simply.  
  
"You could have let him send me away, could have let him force me into that other world."  
  
"The Phantom Zone."  
  
"The Phantom Zone...right.  But you didn't.  You saved me.  I'm a danger to everything, but you stopped him.  You stood up for me against Clark.  You stood against..."  Davis hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowing as she watched him searching for the right words.  
  
Chloe wrinkled her own brow.  Why was he having so much trouble with describing Clark?  He knew Clark was her best friend.  She had never hidden that.  
  
She saw him swallow and finally say, "You stood against your best friend."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  His eyes turned and held hers for a moment too long before returning to the dark road.  
  
Chloe's mind screamed at her - _Lie to him!  Tell him whatever he needs to hear!  Tell him you couldn't let him die there!  Tell him you couldn't let Clark do that!_  
  
Her heart spoke more softly, but the words echoed through her. -- _You don't need to lie.  What you think isn't true...is._  
  
Her words came out in a whisper, but in the quiet of the SUV's cab, they had no problems hearing her soft words.  "I couldn't let you die.  I couldn't let you be...sent away."  
  
She felt tears in her eyes and turned towards the window, hiding her face.  She couldn't let him see.  Couldn't let him know.  After what she had done, she couldn't risk it.  Doing so might destroy her.  
  
"Chloe..."  
  
She saw a lit sign a bit up the road welcoming them to a town called Franklin.  She wasn't really sure what state this Franklin was in.  Occasionally, Davis had asked her to check the map -- an honest to God, _paper_ map so they wouldn't leave any hackable trails -- but they had been following this road for some time.  
  
"There's a town up there.  Maybe we should stop for the day.  Get a motel room.  It's going to be light again soon."  
  
She watched his reflection in the dark glass of the SUV window.  He was trying to catch her mirrored eyes, but she kept her head ducked down slightly.  
  
"Ok."  
  
They drove in silence a few moments more, before Davis broke it with a soft question.  "Should I get a room with two beds or one?"  
  
Her eyes flashed up and caught his in the reflection.  She studied his look for a moment.  Even distorted by the dark glass, she could see something hungry and deep in his eyes.  She finally turned away from the window and looked at him straight on.  His face was tight, like he was trying and failing to control his expression.  His eyes were hot and his breathing was slightly fast.  
  
She saw the two paths.  
  
If she said two beds, Davis would push the fire down, and act the prefect gentleman.  He would turn away as she dressed and not lay so much as a finger on her person.  
  
If she said one bed, they probably wouldn't even use it.  At least not at first.  They would claw each other's clothes off and probably end up against the door or on the floor.  
  
She could write off what happened this morning as another fluke.  She could say she had woken up with a beautiful man and just...done what came naturally.  Except that wasn't all.  She had also come down to him that last night at The Talon.  And let him touch her after the thug's brutal death.  
  
How many times could she write off as a fluke, before she accepted what was really going on?  
  
Would she be able to face herself if she took him into her bed and body again with all illusions ripped away?  Without pretending it was about need, or comfort, or a dream -- could she face the person that would do that?  
  
She'd been pushing the truth away, even from herself, but was it really even possible anymore?  Davis was right, she had chosen to save him from Clark.  Yes, she had done it for Clark, but she hadn't done it _only_ for Clark.  
  
If Clark hadn't been there -- hadn't been involved -- could she have let Davis go through that portal?  
  
He was a monster and a killer.  He was a threat to everything and everyone.  
  
And she couldn't have let him do it.  
  
She had chosen to save the monster...and the man.  
  
Because she needed him.  
  
She just hoped she could live with that.  
  
"One," she whispered.


	117. Interlude 13

" _One,_ " Chloe whispered.  
  
That was all the answer Davis needed, and -- as she guessed -- they hadn't even made it to that one bed.  
  
Frantic hands and mouths -- his and hers -- were all over each other as Davis pressed her back against the door.  She hadn't even seen anything of the room before they attacked each other.  She was too busy watching the fireworks behind her eyes as he stripped her pants and panties from her and buried his face between her legs.  His tongue plunged into the already-wet core of her and she found herself coming all over his face as her cries bounced off the walls of the unseen room.  
  
"Davis...yes...Davis...Fuck me...please..."  
  
She heard his zipper, felt the grasp of his hands on her bottom, lifting her.  
  
"Chloe, look at me."  
  
Her eyes flashed open to see him.  His brown eyes had gone molten again with that lust-filled look she loved.  His nostrils flared and his face was tight with purpose.  He was still fully clothed, but she felt the naked, blunt tip of him probing at her hot entrance.  
  
Something harsh and animal flashed in his eyes as he sank into her.  " _Mine..._ " she heard rasp from him.  
  
She cried out as he filled her.  Cried out only one word, but it sent him into a flurry of such hard, fast, filling thrusts no more words were possible.  
  
" _Yours..._ "  
  


* * *

  
  
Now it was evening and she stood with her hands braced on the sink of the motel room bathroom.  The brightness of the fluorescent bulb casting harsh light over her haunted face.  She wore only her ragged old terrycloth robe.  Her hair was a mess and she wore no makeup.  She just stood there and stared into her own eyes in the reflection of the mirror above the sink.  
  
She had changed things again.  She had made a conscious decision, and now she needed to know if she could live with it.  
  
She had to know if she could still face her own reflection after everything that had happened.  
  
In the mirror, she saw a shape move into the bathroom doorway.  The light from the bedroom area was very dim, and Davis was wearing his customary dark clothes.  It made his pale face seem to hover in the air.  
  
She met his eyes in the mirror, but didn't move.  
  
"Chloe?" he asked.  
  
She shifted her gaze back to her own eyes in the mirror.  
  
"Davis, I need to know."  
  
Davis walked into the bathroom and stood behind her.  He was wearing a black T-shirt and dark lounge pants.  He didn't say a word.  
  
Talking a big breath, Chloe continued.  "Davis, after everything, I need to know..."  She flicked her eyes to meet his in the mirror again.  "I need you to..."  
  
His face was grave, but he nodded.  He understood.  Davis always understood her.  She needed to face herself and everything she had done.  She needed to know if she could still meet her own eyes.  Since meeting Davis, she had killed under Brainiac's influence, she had lied and hidden from her friends, she had married the wrong man, and now she was sleeping with a serial killer and a monster.  All those choices had brought her to now.  
  
Oliver's words rung in her ears.  _When did you become one the bad guys, huh?_  
  
Had she become one of the monsters she sought to fight?  
  
She needed to face it all, and she needed Davis' help.  
  
Davis reached his arms around her and buried his face in her neck.  Chloe stood like stone.  This wasn't about pleasure, this was about facing herself.  
  
Her lack of response caused Davis to look up and catch her gaze in the mirror.  She told him without a word what she needed.  His eyes turned hurt and sad.  Davis knew that their connection was a large part of what she had to face.  She wanted the act, not the pleasure right now.  She wanted...clinical.  
  
Chloe knew that she was causing him pain, but she had to know, and he would never deny her what she needed.  
  
With a sigh, he moved his arms around her and untied the sash of her robe.  He parted the old fabric to display her naked body underneath.  His eyes roved over her in the reflection and she felt him harden against her back.  His hands shifted and cupped the weight of her breasts.  His hands skillfully began to massage the warm flesh, then shifted to the sensitive nipples.  He gently swept his fingers across them before moving to tease and pull at them,  
  
Chloe didn't look away from her own eyes, but she couldn't help but _feel._ It felt _really_ good.  Warmth and wetness began to pool in her.  Her body lost some of its tension.  
  
Davis sensed the change.  Using one of his feet, her tapping at her ankles, indicating, she should widen her stance.  Chloe obliged, but otherwise didn't move.  Davis seemed to know that as much as she wanted to move, she wouldn't allow herself.  Her hands still gripped the sink as she stared into her own fallen martyr eyes.  
  
He moved his hands away from her breasts, and lifted the edge of her bathrobe.  He bunched it up until her rear was exposed to him, and left the fabric rumpled up on her back.  His hands began to move over the flesh of her rear, savoring the feel of the warm flesh.  Chloe could feel the soft flannel of his pants as it brushed against the bare skin of her thighs and ass.  She could also feel the hardness of him under the fabric.  
  
One of his hands moved around to her hip and buried in the curls between her legs.  Davis caught her eyes again as he slid the hand down to the warmth below.  He was waiting to see if she would stop him.  She didn't say no, but she didn't encourage him either.  She just watched.  Still holding her eyes, he dipped a finger into her.  Chloe suppressed the shiver that wanted to run through her.  She tore her eyes away from Davis'.  If she kept holding his hot eyes, she would never be able to continue standing still.  
  
With a sigh, Davis withdrew his hand.  Then both his hands left her.  She briefly flicked her eyes from her own gaze and saw he was working on his pants.  She knew she should look away, but she cheated a little and watched as he withdrew his hard member from the opening in his pants.  _God it was beautiful._ Large and hard with velvety skin.  She felt a new rush of wetness.  
  
Her eyes flashed back to her own refection.  Her eyes didn't look haunted anymore.  They looked...anticipatory.  
  
She felt the blunt hardness of Davis' cock as he used his hand to rub the head along her wet slit.  Without conscious thought her legs widened slightly more.  When he had the head well lubricated, he gripped one of her hips and slowly began to push forward.  This was her favorite part, but Chloe forced herself to hold still as he invaded her.  When he was buried inside, she saw him watching her over her shoulder.  He didn't move.  
  
Chloe stared into her own eyes.  She stood naked before her reflection with the cock of a killer buried in her.  This was the moment she needed.  Raw, open, not hiding who or what she was, or what she had chosen.  She had done terrible things since meeting Davis that day of the bus crash.  Things that had led her to this moment when she would welcome him into her body, knowing who and what they both were.  
  
She didn't feel shame.  Or guilt.  Or evil.  
  
She just wanted him to _move._  
  
She met his hot eyes in the mirror and rolled her hips back just the slightest bit.  Davis gave a little nod and began to move in her with slow thrusts.  
  
Chloe forced herself to remain still as Davis moved in and out of her body, causing a flow of warmth and pleasure to radiate out.  As his thrusts began to speed up, it became harder for her to remain stoic.  She bit onto her bottom lip hard, but she held herself frozen.  
  
"Chloe."  Davis said.  
  
Her eyes flicked to his in surprise.  It was the first word spoken since he had first come into the bathroom.  
  
Without pausing his thrusting, he continued.  "I know you need to do _this_."  He punctuated the last word with a particularly powerful thrust, which made her gasp unwillingly.  He continued, "But I love you."  He held her eyes captive as he said it, buried deep within her.  
  
He began thrusting again, stronger than before, but not as strong as his last hard thrust.  Her mouth opened slightly as her breathing grew ragged.  Her hips began to press back to meet his own.  The pressure was building inside.  Her eyes went back to herself again.  There was no trace of the martyr in them anymore.  
  
"And I think..." Davis started speaking again.  
  
He shifted his hips and stilled, before giving a hard thrust to punctuate each word.  
  
"You."  _Hard Thrust._  
  
"Love."  _Hard Thrust._  
  
"Me."  _Hard Thrust._  
  
"Too."  _Hard Thrust._  
  
Oh God.  He was right.  She needed him because...she loved him.  
  
"Davis!"  she screamed.  
  
Chloe let go of her restraint and let the orgasm crash over her. She felt Davis' frantic thrusts and then him exploding into her as she sank under the tsunami waves of pleasure.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe awoke dazedly.  Her head was pillowed on her arms on the sink.  
  
Had she blacked out?  
  
She raised her head, still feeling dazed.  As she did, she caught a look at her eyes in the mirror.  They didn't look haunted, or shamed, or any of the things she had come to face.  They looked like the eyes of a woman thoroughly fucked by a man she loved.  
  
And she did.  She was finally able to look past her fear and admit it.  She loved Davis.  She had faced all her demons in that mirror and come to realize everything that she had done, everything she told herself was for Clark, or the world, or whatever, had been for him.  She loved him and couldn't feel wrong about that.  
  
She raised her eyes to meet Davis' in the mirror.  He was panting heavily, still gripping her hips to his where he was buried inside her.  
  
She must have only blacked out for a few seconds.  
  
Gulping a large breath of air, he asked, "So do you know now?"  
  
She grinned at him, all her joy and love in her eyes.  "Yes."  
  
He grinned back at her, then flicked his eyes to meet his own gaze.  He quickly looked away.  He hadn't found the redemption she had.  
  
 _Yet_ , she promised herself.  
  
Extricating himself from her, he held her hips until he knew she was steady.  Her robe fell from where it was bunched on her back to cover her ass, but still gaped open in the front.  Davis' eyes grew hot again as she straightened.  He spun her around.  
  
Meeting her face to face, he spoke roughly, "Chloe, I'm glad you got what you need, because this is what _I_ need."  
  
Chloe yelped in surprise as he lifted her to sit on the edge of the sink.  
  
His eyes were molten.  He may have orgasmed during the encounter a few minutes ago, but it wasn't what he needed.  He needed _her_ , not just her body.  That instantly had her flooding with warmth again.  
  
No one had ever loved her like this damaged man.  And now she knew she had never loved anyone else like him either.  Not Clark.  Not Jimmy.  
  
Just Davis.  
  
Meeting eyes other's eyes directly, they suddenly became frantic.  She pulled up on the edge of his shirt until it came up over his head.  He pushed the ragged robe off her shoulder.  She started to push down on his pants, but that would require her hopping down from the sink where he had placed her.  He removed them instead.  He was already at full mast again.  
  
Then their lips met, and there was nothing skilled or gentle in the kiss.  It was hot, wet, sloppy, and frantic.  It was more like they were trying to devour each other than anything else.  Their hands clawed and pulled at each other's bodies.  Then suddenly he pushed inside inside her, causing Chloe to cry out with the hot invasion.  They crashed together in a frantic, animal coupling.  Chloe didn't worry about hurting Davis as she raked him with her nails and bit into him.  She heard him grunt and groan in a combination of pain and pleasure.  He wasn't overly gentle with her either, but she had no fear he would hurt her.  
  
Davis would never hurt her.  
  
Their frantic coupling quickly reached fever pitch, and Chloe screamed out as the orgasm rushed over her.  She buried her nails into the flawless skin of his back and sank her teeth into his shoulder as the hard waves rushed through her.  
  
Davis let out a _roar_ and punched out with a fist through the bathroom mirror and into the wall behind it with his own pulsing orgasm.  
  
Plaster dust and shards of the mirror rained down around them as the last racking waves went through them.  They didn't give a damn.  
  


* * *

  
  
A bit later, Davis sat on the closed lid of the toilet in a new pair of lounge pants.  Chloe knelt below him, wearing pajamas.  
  
The bathroom was a disaster.  Plaster dust still hung in the air, and the floor and sink were littered with mirror shards.  They were just lucky there were at an end room, or they surely would have had someone pounding on the door for explanation.  
  
They were both smiling foolishly, and shooting conspiratorial looks at each other as if to say, _Yeah, we did that and it was AWESOME._  
  
Davis' arms around her had mostly protected Chloe from the broken glass, so aside from one long scratch at the top of her left butt cheek, she was unhurt.  Davis, unfortunately, was something of a mess, even with his immunity at work.  It seemed that he did have an building immunity to fingernail scratches, because those had already completely healed.  Chloe unexpectedly felt a little sad about that.  She had actually kind of like the idea of marking this man as hers.  Ten little half-moon shapes on his back where she had sunk her nails it him would have been perfect.  Instead, he had a large angry-looking bite on his shoulder and about two dozen cuts on his hand and arms from the glass.  It seemed he had never been savagely bitten or cut by a mirror before and didn't have an immunity to it yet.  She dabbed at the blood on one of the cuts on his hand, then turned and pulled the tweasers from her toiletries bag.  Using the tweasers, she fished out the sliver of glass from the cut.  She placed it on the tissue next to her with about a half-dozen other pieces just like it.  
  
"Now kiss it and make it better," Davis said with grin.  
  
She laughed and bent down to kiss the cut.  They watched as the cut began to close.  His adaptive healing was already working.  
  
Still grinning, he said, "See?  It worked."  
  
"Magic kisses," she agreed.  
  
He bent his head down, and captured her lips with his.  The wasn't like the hard kisses from before.  This kiss was...claiming.  She responded eagerly, and dropping the tweasers, moved her hands to his face.  He wrapped his hands around her and holding her under her butt, he stood.  
  
Mumbling against his lips, Chloe said, "I should finish checking your hands."  She didn't stop kissing him though as he carried her to the bedroom.  She just wrapped her legs tighter around his waist as he walked.  
  
"They are fine," he mumbled back against her lips, "Magic kisses."  
  
Chloe laughed as they fell together on the bed.  
  
Then, for the the first time, they really made love.


	118. Chapter 118

The entire tone of their trip changed.  
  
He loved her and she loved him.  
  
For Davis, he nearly thought he would die from the joy of it.  Chloe LOVED him!  It was so wondrous, he almost didn't believe it.  He had to fight hard to keep his eyes on the road and his hands on the wheel of the new car.  They had traded in the SUV for a completely unremarkable sedan using cash and fake IDs.  In another few days, they would do the same with this car.  
  
In the meantime, the best thing he could say about this car was the radio worked well.  
  
So he sang to her with the radio as they drove through another middle-America farm town.  
  
He was driving into the sunset with the woman he loved more than his own life.  They would settle down in some quiet nameless town, far away from aliens, or monsters, or anything.  With Chloe by his side to keep Doomsday at bay, they would build a life.  Together.  
  
That dream was shattered after only three days.  
  


* * *

  
  
It was a beautiful clear night to drive.  Davis spent most of the time at the wheel, with Chloe taking shorter turns.  With Chloe beside him and the open road ahead, he felt free in a way he never had.  The monster and the itching darkness in his head had both been completely silent since the events in the second motel.  
  
Since Chloe had admitted she loved him too.  
  
He couldn't help peeking over at her again.  She was so beautiful and wonderful and strong.  Without her, he would have been lost to Doomsday ages ago.  She was his living, breathing salvation.  
  
He could barely keep his hands off her.  Every dawn when they found a new motel, they made frantic and passionate love before falling asleep wrapped around each other.  Then, upon waking, they did it again.  Hot and fast, slow and languid -- he wanted to make love to her in every way imaginable.  He needed her to know that he was hers, body and soul.  
  
Even when they were driving, he would find his hands stretching for hers.  Most of the time, hers was already stretching for his as well.  
  
Sometimes, he would pull the car over and they would make love against a tree or upon a blanket in a field, surrounded by dormant winter plants.  
  
Even with the horror of the monster within him and the terrible things he had done, he found himself giving thanks to God.  The old saying about God helping those that helped themselves had never felt truer.  He had done terrible things to keep something even worse at bay, but God had sent him help.  God had sent him Chloe.  Such a wondrous thing made him almost feel like there might be redemption for him.  The Church taught that as long as you accepted your wrongs and sought salvation, it was there.  With Chloe smiling beside him and the darkness gone from his thoughts, he felt that truth.  He didn't know if the shadow of Doomsday was still there in the back of his mind, waiting, but it had no power over him now.  There was no longer a dark oily presence pressing him for blood and death and _sacrifice_.  
  
There was only Chloe.  
  
He smiled over at her again.  She smiled back.  
  
He wondered if he could convince her to marry him.  Her first wedding and marriage had been such a disaster.  Maybe when they established their new home and identities, they could say they were already married.  
  
No.  No, he didn't want to do it that way.  He wanted to do it right.  He wanted to get down on one knee and ask for her hand.  He wanted to see her in a white dress bought for _him_ , not one for another man torn and bloodied.  He wanted to stand up with her in a small church before God and feel her slip a gold band over his hand to match the one he put on hers.  
  
Once they were settled in, he would start saving.  He guessed that they would have to keep a low cover so he probably wouldn't be able to get her the kind of ring she deserved, but he would make sure it was a REAL ring.  With a real diamond.  He only hoped the shine of the gem was half as bright as her eyes.  
  
Speaking of brightness...  
  
His eyes flicked back up to the rearview mirror.  There were still headlights behind them.  They had been on this quiet back road for almost an hour, but almost as soon as they had turned on it, the black SUV had been behind them.  
  
And when it had first started following them the headlights had been off.  It was only when the vehicle clearly had problems making out the road that the lights had come on.  
  
Davis flicked his eyes over to Chloe, but she was now gazing out the window at the black of the fields and trees around them.  
  
He didn't want to upset her needlessly, but he was pretty sure they were being followed.  
  
He saw what looked like the drive to an abandoned garage of some sort ahead.  He would pull over and see if the other vehicle passed by.  If it did, he would write it off as coincidence.  If it didn't...well, he'd deal with it.


	119. Chapter 119

Chloe looked over at Davis, confused.  Why was he pulling off the road into an abandoned garage?  This didn't look like the sort of spot he would pull over to make love.  Those places had been scenic woods or overlooks or moonlit picnic spots.  This looked like the sort of place you just drove right by without a second glance.  
  
"Davis?  What's going on?"  
  
Chloe saw his eyes flick up to the rearview mirror.  "Nothing, I hope," he replied.  
  
Chloe knew better than to turn around and give any hint to the driver behind them of their suspicion.  Instead she looked out at the side view mirror and saw what Davis had.  
  
Headlights.  About forty feet back.  
  
"We're being followed," she said in a flat voice.  
  
Davis nodded slightly.  "Yeah.  I think so, at least.  So I was pulling over to see if they stop too or if they were just traveling the same road."  
  
Chloe gripped his arm in sudden fear as Davis swung the car around to the back of the debris-filled yard of the garage.  He maneuvered the old sedan between a few rusted out cars and shut down the engine.  "Davis, don't.  Don't let them make you lose control."  
  
Davis looked over at her, his expression flat.  "Chloe, I hope to God they just pass on by, but if they want trouble, they'll find it."  Then he reached into the back seat of the sedan and grabbed something from the floor.  He smiled then, a warm and slightly evil smile as he showed her his prize.  It was a large L-shaped wrench.  The kind used to loosen lug nuts to change a tire.  He slapped it in his palm a few times to get a feel for its weight.  "Though I can defend myself perfectly well without The Beast."  
  
Chloe released his arm, and started fumbling in the backpack at her feet.  She had to prepare as well.  She had seen a few scattered newspapers and posters even in the tiny towns they had traveled through that had splashy headlines like "Cornfield Killer Loose" and "The Secret Life of the EMT Murderer."  
  
Along with headlines had words like "WANTED" and "REWARD!"  
  
It would seem that someone had seen them and put the pieces together.  She just hoped they could resolve the issue without too much bloodshed.  
  
Thankfully, she had some things that might help.  
  
Chloe pulled out her tazer and the cushioned pack full of syringes loaded with sedatives.  She paused when her hand hit the small lead box that contained a piece of kryptonite inside.  Shaking her head, she set it aside.  If they were traveling by SUV, their followers would be of the more conventional variety.  
  
Chloe sat silently next to Davis in the front seat of the car until they could hear the SUV crunching along the graveled road.  It was slowing down as it came to the garage driveway.  
  
Chloe exchanged a look with Davis before they both slowly and silently got out of the car.  Davis in his dark clothes almost seemed to melt into the darkness between two rusted out vehicles in the lot.  She knew she wouldn't blend nearly so well in her brightly patterned top, so she moved behind a stack of rotting tires along a falling-down chain link fence.  Hopefully, there was only one person in the SUV, but if there were more, their best bet was to sneak up behind their pursuers and knock them out.  Then they could restrain them and get away.  Even on a small road like this, eventually someone would find the tied-up pursuers.  
  
But it would buy them a few more days.  
  
The SUV stopped in the middle of the lot.  Voices.  A male and female.  
  
Crap.

* * *

  
Davis fought to keep his breathing slow and quiet from his spot between the two old cars.  Chloe had hidden around the other side behind some tires with the chain-link fence at her back, out of the line of sight of the SUV.

Two people got out of the large black vehicle.  A young male and an equally young female.  They looked like high-schoolers -- except for the way they moved.  They moved with confidence.  They moved like they knew nothing could hurt them.  They moved like predators.

The hairs on the back of Davis' neck stood up.  There was something different about these kids.  Something _wrong_.

"I know I saw them pull over about here," the guy was saying.  He was dressed all in some sort of black quasi-uniform, but his spiky blonde hair shone in the moonlight.  He looked around at the lot of the garage, but they had left the SUV lights on.  It would be keeping him blind to the night.

In the dimness of The Talon basement, the dark had become Davis' ally.  He would use it now.  He held perfectly still, willing himself to be unseen.

"You sure about that, Nuetron?  These back roads are hard to follow and we've lost sight of them before.  Why would they pull in here?  I think they are still up ahead on the road."  It was the girl.  She had dark hair and was dressed in a matching black uniform of some kind.

"No.  No.  I'm sure I saw them pull off here.  They must be here somewhere."  The boy moved away from the beams of light cast by the SUV and started squinting around the lot.  Davis knew that in the dark there was no way they would have gotten a good look at the car he and Chloe were driving, and it was so generic he doubted they would easily pick it our amongst the other abandoned vehicles.  If Chloe and he just stayed quiet and still, the chances were good this pair would just press on, none the wiser for having been found out by their quarry.

That was when things went wrong.

The boy turned to the girl, and told her in a voice intended to carry, "Hey, Livewire, lots of metal around here.  I bet one good electric burst would light this place up like a Christmas tree."  He chuckled evilly.  "And flash-fry anything unfortunate enough to be touching anything metal."

Panic raced through Davis and his eyes flashed over to where Chloe hid.  Even in the dark, he could see her eyes were huge.  Tucked behind the tires as she was, she was trapped -- and pressed up against the chain-link fence.

Evil green lightning sizzled over and around the girl's hands.  She was gazing in evil glee and joy as the green electricity began to coalesce into a ball in her palm.  The ball grew larger and larger until it was nearly the size of a basketball.  The boy had moved off towards the garage building.

No!  He couldn't let the lightning hit the metal of the fence!  That much electricity racing along the metal links could kill Chloe!

Silently, but with an incredible burst of speed taken from Doomsday still lurking inside, Davis shot out from between the two cars and tackled the lightning girl -- Livewire.  The girl went down with a scream.  The lightning ball went flying harmlessly off into the sky to explode with a flash of green light.  The boy came racing back from the garage at the sound of the girl's scream.  Davis spun on him, holding the tire wrench aloft.  The boy had his own hands up and a glowing green nimbus of power, somehow different from the girl's formed in his hands as well.

Then the boy let his power fly at Davis.

The pulse of power sent him flying backwards across the garage lot.  His skin felt afire and sizzled and burned in a terrible way that Davis had only seen associated with chemical burns.

The pain was incredible for a few moments until everything went black.  


* * *

Chloe saw Davis go down in a green burst from the guy -- Neutron? -- but kept herself from calling out.  She had to believe Davis would be ok.  He had survived meteor rock and come back.  He had to be ok after he recovered from whatever the meteor power Neutron had hit him with.  But that just meant it was up to her to disable these two before Davis woke up.

She crept up behind the girl -- Livewire -- who was just now shakily sitting up from where Davis had tackled her.  Chloe made sure her taser was ready as she got within range.  Then she lit the girl up with a million volts of electricity.

The girl just laughed and turned to face Chloe.

Oh crap.

"Did you really think you could use a taser on _me??_ My freaking name is _Livewire_."  The girl laughed again and started drawing in more power, her hands arcing with electricity.  As soon as a small ball had formed, she threw it at Chloe.

Chloe went flying across the lot to land at the feet of the blonde-haired Neutron.

Neutron hunched down and looked at her curiously.  "So you are the famous Chloe Sullivan.  I would have thought from everything Tess had told us about you and your beastly boyfriend over there, that you would be a lot tougher."  He gave her a nasty smile.  "Funny part is, your boyfriend attacked for no reason, and gave you away.  If Livewire had released that much electricity here, she would have burned down the whole forest.  Along with us.  Your bony boyfriend over there fell for a bluff."

Chloe heard the boy's bragging, but was fighting too hard to breathe to pay him too much attention.  The electric jolt had caused her heart to hammer and her breathing to nearly hyperventilate.  Then breathing got infinitely harder when the boy grabbed her by the throat to force her to her feet.  "So I guess we'll just present Tess with a little surprise gift of you and beast-boy over there."

Livewire came walking up to her and Neutron.  "Do you know what this means, Nuetron?  We're heroes.  We stopped The Beast and his accomplice."  The grin she shared with him was huge and delighted.

Then a roar filled the lot and they all turned to see...The Beast.

* * *

Davis came to as pain melted away into awareness, he rolled onto his side.  His shirt and much of his jeans had been burned away by the radioactive chemical burst the boy had leveled at him.

The burst that had killed him.

Either the boy didn't know or didn't accept that death was not an end for Davis Bloome.

It took a moment more, but slowly Davis eyes began to properly focus again.

What he saw filled him with horror.

Chloe was gasping and choking in the grip of the boy.

The boy that had just killed him.

Dark visions began to swirl in his head.  The boy casting that same toxin on Chloe.  Chloe with her fragile human skin scored and bubbly under the radioactive poison as she died screaming and calling for Davis to save her.

The world went red and he felt the old clawing rage and madness inside.

The darkness swirled and revealed they weren't really even people at all.  They were monsters too.  Monsters that would hurt and kill anyone that got in their way to get to Doomsday.

They were monsters that were going to hurt Chloe to get to The Beast.

He had tried fighting as a man and failed.

Because sometimes you just had to fight monsters with monsters.

They wanted Doomsday?

Well, Davis would give them their wish.

He let The Beast loose.


	120. Chapter 120

It was all kind of a blur to Chloe from that point.  Neutron, Livewire, and her all turned to see the hulking mass of Doomsday where the fallen form of Davis had been a moment before.  
  
Even though most of her air was cut off from Neutron's grip on her throat, she squeaked out, "Davis...no..." before she was unceremoniously dropped.   
  
The girl -- Livewire -- backed away in fear towards the SUV, speaking to her companion.  
  
"Neutron...we should get out of here.  No way we can take that thing on."  She moved very slowly, showing surprising insight in not running.  Such a move may trigger the monster to charge.  
  
Though its beady red eyes remained fixed on Neutron.  
  
The boy's hands began to glow with the green nimbus again.  "Don't be such a scardy-cat Livewire.  We already know that my radioactive blast can take it down.  Just need a bigger one this time."  The boy locked eyes with the nightmare monster.  "You should have stayed down."  His green poison began to overflow his hands, pooling around him.  "Too bad you won't live to regret the mistake."  Neutron swirled his hands gathering up the coalescing poison with a faster and faster motion into a huge cloud of green.  Chloe crawled away from the toxic mixture following behind Livewire.  She reasoned that the boy was unlikely to release his poison in a way that would hit his companion.  So her safest bet from him was to be near her.  
  
And the girl's safest bet from Doomsday was to be near Chloe.  
  
Neutron's smile looked evil in the baleful green light of the enormous toxic mass he held in his hands.  "Nighty-night, Beast!"  
  
Then he released the huge ball of radioactive death at Doomsday.  
  
It hit The Beast square on and burst over the monster in a virulent green shifting mass of ruin.  
  
When it faded, the unharmed Beast charged.  
  
Doomsday headed straight for the shocked Neutron, barreling straight into the boy with a roar.  The boy let out a single sharp scream, before his lungs were smashed in by the monster's bony fist to his chest.  
  
Chloe wasn't sure if the boy was dead at that point, but later she would hope it was so.  As it was, she was frozen in silent horror, watching the monster.  
  
The monster didn't stop with just crushing the boy's chest.  It continued its charge with the boy still flopping limply on its fist.  Using that fist, it smashed through the brick side of the garage building.  Through the hole in the building's side, Chloe saw a spray of scarlet _something_ splash out over the brick walls.  
  
 _Please be old car paint._  
  
She knew it wasn't paint.  
  
She heard a car start and craned her neck back around to see the big black SUV turn and shoot out the driveway and away without ever slowing.  Livewire had escaped.  
  
Looking back at the glistening spatter on the walls of the garage, Chloe knew that the boy, Neutron, was dead.  
  
He was dead because of Davis.  
  
Fighting to breathe again -- from panic this time -- she crawled slowly back towards some of the old cars.  She hid between two colorless rust-buckets and was violently -- but very quietly -- sick.  
  
Then she passed out.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Chloe?"  A gentle, concerned voice questioned.  Davis' voice.  She smiled at the sound before realizing how incredibly uncomfortable she was.  She frowned for a moment, keeping her eyes closed trying to figure why that was so.  Then her eyes snapped open on a gasp when she remembered.  She hit her head on the side of the car next to her and just barely missed putting her hand in vomit in her rush to get up.  Her hand snapped to the pain in her head.  "Owwww...."  
  
"Chloe, it's ok.  It's all ok.  I'm me."  Davis again.  
  
Chloe opened her eyes from the pain in her head again and saw his concerned face.  His hands were gentle on her head.  "Let me see, Chloe.  I want to make sure you are ok."  
  
She removed her hand from her head tentatively, exposing the sore place to Davis' tender inspection.  He gently felt around the spot on her head muttering to himself.  Chloe blinked.  He was almost naked and covered in...  
  
She fought back another wave of nausea and chose not to think about what he was covered in.  
  
Not that she had anything left in her stomach anyway.  
  
"I think you'll be ok.  Just a bump," he declared.  
  
"Davis..."  She stopped and swallowed back the bile that was still trying to rise in her throat.  "What happened?  Did you lose control?  How?  Everything has been so good..."  
  
He turned away, but she heard him speaking softly in reply.  "No, I didn't lose control.  Not exactly.  It was...something else."  
  
She caught his arm, and spun him back to face her.  She tried to keep her gaze on his eyes, because everywhere else was...red.  "What do you mean you didn't lose control?  What do you mean by 'something else'?"  
  
He turned away from her again, but this time he kept walking towards their car.  "Davis..."  
  
He pulled some clothes out of bag and dressed, throwing the tatters of his old clothes into the trunk.  He took one of the water bottles and used it to wet a small washcloth and wipe his face and hands off.  "Chloe, we need to get out of here.  I think that the girl got away, and she is sure to come back here with reinforcements to hunt us down.  We need to be gone."  He turned away and moved to the driver's side door, toying with the car keys.  He very carefully wasn't looking into the gaping hole in the brick wall of the garage.  Inside, bright red blood was shining in the dawn light.  "It'll be safer for _everyone_ that way."  
  
Chloe took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together.  Davis was right.  They had to get away from here immediately.


	121. Chapter 121

They decided it was too risky to find a motel since Livewire had escaped and surely would be reporting back to Tess on their last location.  
  
Chloe wished she could be surprised that Tess was behind what appeared to be a meteor-freak squad, but she couldn't.  It must be part of being head of Luthorcorp - hunting aliens and exploiting the meteor infected.  
  
Given that both Davis and her desperately needed to clean up and sleep, they had to find a place that they could hole up for a bit.  A place they wouldn't be expected to go.  
  
So they went back the way they had come, backtracking their trail.  When they found a drive about twenty miles back that led to a campground it felt like a God-send.  
  
Chloe went into the office to rent them a cabin while Davis kept out of sight in the backseat of the car.

* * *

  
  
They didn't say anything aloud, but it was an unspoken agreement that they would shower separately instead of together as they had been the last few days.  Games and teasing with soapy, roaming hands would feel wrong when washing away blood and filth.  
  
Davis showered first, also by unspoken consent.  By the time Chloe was done with her own shower, she found him fast asleep under the rough wool blankets of the cabin.  
  
She looked around and saw the small trundle bed that could be pulled out.  She guessed it was intended for a child, but she would fit if she pulled her knees up.  She didn't have to share the larger bed with him if she didn't want to.  
  
Standing there in the cold cabin with her hair still wet and dripping, a shiver raced through her even though she was wearing her heaviest sweats.  She felt more than cold, she felt drained.  
  
The monster had come back.  
  
Still shivering -- part from cold and part from reaction -- she pulled the covers back and climbed into the bed beside Davis.  In his sleep, he moved closer to her and pulled her back against his clean, warm skin and she felt comforted.  As her body relaxed and warmed against his, she started to drift to sleep.  As her mind fogged over with sleep, her last thought was how strange it was that though she feared the monster to her very soul, the man could push that fear away.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis awoke to the sound of birds singing outside the cabin.  Where his skin wasn't in contact with Chloe, his body felt strangely raw and unsettled.  He wondered briefly if it was an aftereffect of choosing the Beast again after having pushed it away so completely.  His arms tightened unconsciously around Chloe as he started searching in his mind for the tell-tale darkness.  
  
He found it.  
  
He closed his eyes as pain washed over him.  He had thought himself free of the shadow after Chloe had come to him, after she had admitted to herself she loved him.  
  
But now it was back.  It was small and silent because of Chloe in his arms, but it was there.  
  
Again.  
  
And something told him he wouldn't be able to push it away so completely again.  
  
He released a strained breath.  He hadn't had much choice last night when he had chosen to turn.  That monster that thought itself a boy had had Chloe by the throat.  'Neutron' could have killed her before Davis' eyes.  That would have ruined everything.  Davis would have been torn apart by the darkness, the monster would have been freed, and Chloe...Chloe would have been dead.  
  
Davis couldn't allow that to happen, so he had done it.  He had let the monster inside himself go after another monster.  He had made the terrible choice, but feeling the warmth of her small body against him, he couldn't make himself regret it.  
  
Davis frowned as he realized the strange direction of his thoughts.  Why did his mind keep depicting the boy -- Neutron -- as a monster?  
  
Did that justify what he had done more?  
  
Or...was it the darkness at work again?  
  
He didn't know and that terrified him.  
  
Was something going on with his perceptions even around Chloe?  Was the darkness trying a new tactic that he couldn't -- or wouldn't push away around Chloe?  Was he seeing monsters that threatened her instead of men to encourage him to let his Beastly counterpart out?  
  
This wasn't the first time she had been the reason he let the monster free.  
  
If so, was she really helping him hold back the monster?  Or just giving him the power to let it out at his choosing?  
  
The monster was coming out either way.  
  
Was the darkness playing him?  Would there be a time when the monster came out _because_ Chloe was near?  
  
That thought was too horrifying to linger upon, so he pressed it away.  
  
No.  Chloe gave him strength.  He would use that strength to keep the monster back.  
  
His arms tightened around the blonde bundle in his arms.   He had to be better at protecting her as a man, or he'd lose the only thing worth hanging onto his humanity for.  
  
Even if he had to fight himself to do it.  
  


* * *

  
  
He would have to tell her everything now.  He would have to tell her about the darkness in his mind, how he suspected it of corrupting his thoughts.  
  
How he had chosen to let the monster free.  
  
She had a right to know, had for some time, but he hadn't wanted to tell her.  He hadn't wanted her to see how much more damaged he was than even she knew.  
  
The thought of telling her that not even his mind was always his own, terrified him.  
  
What if she saw him as too broken?  What if their love wasn't strong enough to pull through this?  What if she _left?_  
  
He just lay there watching her sleep, though she was starting to rustle slightly.  Soon her body would tell her to wake and her beautiful green eyes would open on him.  He had been indescribably happy that after what happened yesterday, she had still chosen to sleep beside him last night.  
  
But would she do so again after she knew everything?  
  
He found himself thinking of ways to postpone the inevitable, when his eyes landed on the single rose in a bud vase on the bedside table.  An idea sparked to life.  
  
He could think of no better way of reminding her who he was -- even now -- than with his body.  He knew that no one else but him ever had -- or ever could -- give her what they shared.  His body was attuned to her on a level that was apart from everything else in their lives.  She would always know him that way.  
  
He slid the rose from the vase carefully.


	122. Interlude 14

Chloe stirred in her sleep.  The air was cold and something was tickling over her bare back.  She shifted her shoulder blades, trying to chase away the teasing.  The tickling sensation was replaced by warm lips moving across her bare skin in the wake of the tickle.  She smiled.  
  
Davis.  
  
She rolled over onto her back and smiled at him dreamily.  Davis leaned over her holding a red rose.  The sight of the rose sent a rush of heat in her as she remembered her dream in The Talon basement.  At least the early part of the dream, before it turned nightmare.  
  
Her smile faltered.  Davis didn't know about that dream.  
  
Seeing her expression change, his smile faded.  He moved as if to get up, but she seized upon his arm.  
  
Something started to work its way up through her still-sleepy thoughts.  "Davis..."  
  
His smile was back and he twirled the rose in his fingers.  Seeing his smile return, she forced her own smile back.  Whatever it was could wait.  Bad things were always waiting to make themselves known.  Davis' playful side was so rare and precious these days.  There was no need to ruin it so soon with old dreams and new worries.  
  
"Nothing,"  she said, mostly to herself.  She reached for the rose, but he pulled it back.  
  
Her look turned quizzical.  He lowered the rose to her nose.  Her smile became real when she closed her eyes and took in the heavenly scent.  
  
The rose pulled away and Davis leaned in and gave her nose a quick peck.  She giggled.  
  
He moved the rose down and outlined the shape of her smile.  Then, again, his lips followed the flower.  His lips teased and nibbled at hers, playfully.  Cool air hit the skin of her stomach as Davis pulled the covers down.  Her sweatshirt  had rolled up in her sleep, leaving her bare belly exposed.  The brush of the rose moved to tease over the exposed skin.  It tickled terribly, but her squeaks turned to sighs as Davis pushed her sleep shirt up further to expose her breasts.  When the delicate petals brushed and then circled her left nipple, she gasped into Davis' mouth.  The nipple turned hard and sensitive as he continued to brush and spin the soft petals against it.  She let out a small sound of protest when he pulled the flower away, but it was only to help her strip the shirt off fully.  When it was gone, his mouth took the flower's place.  He flicked and sucked at the taunt flesh while he moved the flower to tease at her other breast.  She moaned and arched her back, causing the covers to slip farther down her body.  When the second nipple was as primed as the first by the rose, he shifted his mouth to follow.  When his focus shifted, the rose was shifted to forge a trail down her exposed stomach.  She gasped at the combined feel of the tickling flower and the sensation of Davis mouth on her nipple.  Her hands worked to push the covers down further, freeing her lower body.  The overlarge sweatpants hung on her hips now as she writhed on the bed.  
  
Oh God.  His lips were now following to her navel.  Where would he guide the flower next?  
  
She felt him catching the waistband of her sweats, and helped him by lifting her hips to push them down and off.  
  
Her liquid center was pulsing with heat and excitement as she laid bare before him.  Her breathing became rapid and she found her legs opening in invitation.  
  
She couldn't help the whine that came to her throat when he bypassed her center and moved down her left thigh.  His lips followed behind, teasingly.  When the flower hit her knee, his hands moved to lift her leg.  She had never realized that the back of her knees could be so sensitive.  First the soft flower, then his warm lips brushed and swirled there.  She found herself moaning again as a new wave of wetness flowed from her core.  The flower continued skimming down her calves to swirl around her inner ankle.  Davis lifted her foot delicately to his lips to nibble her ankle.  
  
Watching him felt extremely erotic.  Almost more than anything else they had done.  Maybe because no one had ever kissed her there?  Maybe she had a latent Cinderella fantasy?  
  
She didn't care.  Watching this beautiful man hold her ankle to his mouth almost made her come right then.  But Davis was nowhere near done.  The rose moved to her other leg, this time starting at the ankle and moving upward.  He shifted so he gripped her right leg and gave that ankle equal attention.  His lips were behind her knee again when the rose gently drifted to hover over the curls between her legs.  Her breathing turned ragged when the silky petals ghosted down over the lips of her sex.  Then she no longer felt his lips on her thigh.  She looked down to find his hot eyes watching her as he moved the flower down her cleft.  She couldn't look away as the brilliant red petals teased her most intimate place.  He used his free hand to uncover the tight hard bud of her clit from the folds.  Then, still holding her gaze with his heated eyes, he moved the flower carefully to press gently on it.  Her hips came off the bed from the combined gentle pressure and her own overheated state.  When her hips came down again, he swirled the rose in a tight fast circle on her clit and blew a stream on cool air on her overheated folds.  
  
She had been hovering on the edge for some time, so just like that she came.  Her hips began bucking wildly in her orgasm, and just when she thought it was over, Davis mouth followed the path of the rose.  His lips wrapped around her clit and sucked.  
  
She came all over again.  
  
She was still vibrating when she felt him sink into her and they rode out the waves together.  
  
The scent of crushed rose petals filled the air.


	123. Chapter 123

"What did you mean you didn't lose control?" Chloe asked him as Davis drove them away from the campsite with the cabin.  They had decided to leave even though it was only early afternoon.  They hoped by changing their travel hours and route would shake any pursuers who followed Neutron and Livewire's trail.  
  
Davis sighed before speaking very slowly and very quietly.  "Chloe, there is more to this than I've led you to believe.  Doomsday, isn't just inside me...he is trying to take me over.  Trying to manipulate me."  
  
"What?!  How?"  
  
Davis explained as best he could about the darkness in his mind and the ways he had sensed it playing with his thoughts.  How it manipulated him -- trying to destroy him from within in an effort to release Doomsday.  
  
Chloe sat in stunned silence for a long moment before speaking.  "So it is trying to corrupt you.  To make you want to become the monster that Doomsday is.  So you'll give over to it."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But what about me?  I'm still here.  We're together.  That should keep it back."  
  
Something haunted crossed Davis' expression, and Chloe thought he would say something more.  Then after a beat too long, he replied softly,  "I hope so, Chloe."  
  


* * *

  
  
He knew he should have told her everything.  He should have told her his fears that Doomsday might actually be changing tactics to compensate for the control she gave him.  He should have told her how Doomsday and the slinking darkness may be using his love and need to protect her as a means of twisting his thoughts to cause him to choose the monster.  How he feared that some day the monster would win completely as Davis gave himself over willingly...for her.  
  
They weren't at that point yet, and if he was destined to lose no matter what...he would rather spend the time he had left with her.  He couldn't tell her that she might be the linchpin on which he kept careful balance.  How on one side she gave him the will to fight the monster, but on the other, she gave him a reason to surrender.  She might think she was helping him best by removing herself from the struggle.  She might leave, and if she did, he would lose the poor stability he fought so hard to maintain.  
  
So he kept silent on that.  
  
He would rather hold tight to the strength she gave him, and their dream of finding a safe place together.  
  
Until nowhere was safe anymore.  
  


* * *

  
  
They spoke little as they drove the rest of the day and into evening.  They were both lost in their own dark thoughts and worries.  Chloe fought against the fear of losing Davis to the darkness in his mind.  Davis fought the fear that Chloe might leave him if she knew the full truth.  
  
Finally, night settled in around them, and they switched to let Chloe drive for a time.  
  
So lost were they in their own dark thoughts, that they didn't notice the DUI checkpoint until they were already caught in the trap.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe looked over at Davis and read the clear panic in his eyes at they were siphoned into the DUI trap by police with their flashing lights and holstered guns.  If they tried to run for it, the cops were sure to give chase, but if they continued through and were recognized...they would already be in the jaws of the trap.  Chloe found herself wishing now that they had done more to disguise their appearances.  They had been relying too heavily on staying unseen and untracked by digital means.  They hadn't paid proper attention to traditional means of catching fugitives.  Clearly a mistake after the events with Neutron and Livewire...and now this.  
  
Chloe was suddenly very thankful it was her turn at the wheel.  The focus would be on her as the driver, not Davis.  That would be their best protection, assuming that word of the Metropolis "Cornfield Killer" and his accomplice hadn't reached this backwater town in...Utah?  It she stuck to her guns and Davis could keep hold of Doomsday, they might all make it out of this with everyone's lives intact.  
  
Reaching across, she flipped open the glove compartment of their sedan and began pulling out documents, talking Davis through what she uncovered.  "Alright, Davis.  They are looking for DUI's, not fugitives.  I prepared for something like this.  I have fake licenses, registration, insurance cards -- the works -- right here.  Your name is Anthony Brendon.  Mine is Sarah Summers.  Since I am obviously sober, they should just let us drive on through if you keep calm."  
  
She placed a hand on his cheek, bringing his panicked eyes to meet hers.  Did his brown irises have a tinge of red in them?  Or was that just the strobing police lights?  
  
"It's alright, Davis.  I'm right here.  We won't be separated.  You just need to keep calm.  Alright?"  
  
He swallowed hard, but meeting her gaze seemed to have steadied him slightly.  "Alright."  
  
She settled back into her seat, the fake documents in her lap.  "Ok, then.  Let's do this."  
  


* * *

  
  
As they pulled away from the DUI stop Chloe breathed a sigh a relief.  It had been way too close.  Then she looked over to where Davis sat in the passenger seat beside her.  She felt a wave of panic when she saw his face.  He was panting heavily and his eyes were closed.  His cheekbones stood out on harsh relief.  
  
 _Oh no._  
  
Chloe hit the gas.  
  
About a mile down the road she found a turnoff and pulled over. Davis was getting worse.  The stress of being stopped by the police had given the monster inside a foothold.  It was trying to break free.  
  
"Davis?" she asked.  
  
His panting was getting worse.  His skin was turning gray.  
  
"Chloe.  I don't know if I can stop it."  
  
He opened his eyes.  They were red as blood.  There were no whites.  Just red.  Bony ridges began to move under his skin.  
  
"Chloe.  Run!" he cried in a harsh-sounding voice.  
  
No!  She couldn't let this happen!  
  
She fumbled her seatbelt off and climbed over to Davis in the passenger seat.  He had closed his eyes again, trying to buy her time, but they snapped open in surprise when she settled in his lap.  She took his face in both her hands.  His skin was cool and hard to the touch.  She looked deep into those awful red eyes and spoke to him.  
  
Her voice was firm and passionate as she spoke -- not to Davis -- but to the monster inside.  "No.  He is MINE.  You may NOT have him.  Return to your shadows."  
  
Then she crushed her lips down onto his.


	124. Interlude 15

_Chloe's voice was firm and passionate as she spoke, not to Davis, but to the monster inside.  
  
"No.  He is MINE.  You may NOT have him.  Return to your shadows."  
  
Then she crushed her lips down onto his._  
  
Fire.  Life.  This was Chloe.  
  
She was everything the monster wasn't.  
  
She moved her lips over his, trying to draw Davis out.  
  
The monster stopped clawing forth.  It seemed to be considering.  
  
Then it began to withdraw.  Davis felt his bones shift and his skin regain flexibility.  The red pulled away from his vision.  As sense returned, he wrapped his arms around Chloe's warmth and pulled her tight against him.  Her mouth opened under the assault of his kisses.  His tongue swept inside to stroke against hers.  Someone moaned.  
  
Davis felt her scrambling at his seatbelt.  
  
 _God yes!_ He needed this desperately.  
  
He fumbled his hoodie off.  It was difficult with Chloe pressed so tightly against him in the car's seat, but he managed.  Her shirt went over her head and then his followed.  She began working at his belt as he plunged his hands under her skirt and felt the warm skin of her bare thighs.  
  
Thank God she had worn a skirt today.  He had no idea how they would have managed if she had been in jeans.  
  
He found the little scrap of panty.  Gripping the damp fabric, he trapped into his now rarely-used Kryptonian strength.  He shredded them with a single pull.  The air inside the car was growing humid, and it was filled with the scent of her arousal.  Chloe had finally gotten his belt open and fly down.  His shaft sprang free - heavy and pulsing.  He moved a hand to test her, even though his senses told him she was more than ready.  His hand was soaked.  She grasped his shaft and moved forward on his lap to align their bodies.  As she began to slide down onto him, she caught his eyes.  He knew they would be his normal human brown.  
  
"Mine," she said possessively.  
  
That was all she said, but he knew exactly what she meant.  His body belonged to her.  Not The Beast.  Not even himself.  The power was hers.  It had been that way since the day they met.  
  
Holding her gaze, Davis promised himself he wouldn't let the monster have him.  He couldn't.  He had already given himself over to another, after all.  To her.  
  
Just as she had given herself to him.  
  
They would make this work.  The monster would have no power over him unless he allowed it.  
  
As she settled herself fully onto him, he thrust his hips up into her.  Her eyes widened in a very appealing way.  He caught her wide green gaze as he thrust up again.  
  
"Mine," he told her.  
  
She nodded.  Then she began to move her hips in time with his thrusts.  All thought flew from their minds.  There was only feeling.  
  
Davis pushed up into her as she pushed down.  His muscles began to lock as he felt her body tighten around him.  She cried out in pleasure.  He grunted with the effort of holding himself back until she came.  Suddenly, he felt the dam break inside her.  She shook in his arms and a hot wave of moisture flowed over him.  He let himself follow her into the storm.  He yelled her name as he pumped into her.  
  
He fell back against the headrest as Chloe collapsed against him.  He pushed her hair back and kissed her sweaty temple.  He rarely sweat anymore.  
  
They stayed that way for several moments as their breathing returned to normal.  
  
Finally, Davis spoke.  She had made a dangerous gamble on his control.  One he hadn't even known if he could win.  "Chloe, that was dangerous.  You should have run."  
  
He could feel her shake her head against his chest.  "No, Davis.  I won't ever leave you again."  She lifted her head from his chest to meet his eyes.  "You won't ever hurt me."  
  
Looking into her beautiful green eyes, he silently promised both of them he would hold enough control to make sure that was true.  
  



	125. Chapter 125

There had been too many close calls recently, so after some discussion, Davis and Chloe decided to change how they operated.  They needed to completely throw off anyone that could be tracking them -- be they more meteor-gifted commandos, Clark, Oliver and his team, Tess, or the police.  They would exchange their car again, they would go in a new, unexpected direction, and they wouldn't stay at any motels or take any other anticipated stops.  
  
So that is how they ended up with an even junkier car in the industrial area of Edge City, parked under a bridge by an old railroad depot.  
  


* * *

  
  
The remains of their dinner, courtesy of a roadside diner, still littered the hood of the car where they lay quietly looking at the starry sky.  The bridge above sheltered them from satellite surveillance, while giving them a nice view of the sky beyond and a rare moment of quiet.  The day had been grueling, but they would rest here for tonight and tomorrow as they replotted their course.  
  
Chloe looked over at Davis' smiling form stretched out on top of the car.  He seemed happy tonight, as if the only thing they ever could have chosen was to lie here on top of their car looking up at the sky.  She envied his relaxed state, wishing she could put some of her own fear away, instead of having it run rampart in her thoughts.  
  
Almost as if he read her mind, Davis' rich voice interrupted her dark ponderings.  "I wonder where Krypton was in relation to all those other stars up there."  
  
Chloe smiled, gratefully letting herself be distracted for a moment.  Clark loved astronomy too.  Was it a Kryptonian trait?  "I wouldn't know.  Astronomy was never one of my interests.  I was always too busy chasing down one story or another."  
  
Looking over at her with a teasing smile, Davis replied, "What?  No farmboys took you out to a scenic outlook to 'look at the stars?' "  
  
She cocked a brow at him.  " 'Look at the stars?'  You mean go out to a field and make out?"  She chuckled at the mild taunt.  "No.  Believe it or not, very few boys ever noticed me back in Smallville.  And of the ones that did, they pretty much all tried to kill me."  
  
Something startled and hot flashed in Davis' eyes for just a moment before his smile returned.  "Well, then it sounds like you are overdue."  He turned away from her to look back up at the glowing points of light in the sky.  Smiling softly in memory, Davis continued, "When I was a child, there was this one foster home -- one of the good ones.  The mom would point out the constellations and tell us stories.  See there?"  He pointed to a section of the sky with particularly bright stars.  "Those stars in a line and the two above...they form a goddess holding a sheaf of wheat."  
  
She looked to where he pointed, and while she saw the collection he meant, the picture the stars formed escaped her.  "Maybe it's sleep deprivation, but I can't exactly see a toga-clad woman in the stars up there."  
  
Davis looked thoughtful as he told her the tale of Demeter, Persephone and Hades.  As she listened, she knew he saw their own story in the myth of the kidnapped young goddess and the Lord of the Underworld.  But the story he told had a very different ending from the one she knew.  He saw the myth as a story of love and redemption.  
  
Sudden fear gripped her again.  This wasn't a story.  
  
They weren't just lovers running away together -- they were fighting powers within and without.  And knowing this, her mind kept snagging on the same terrible thought -- like an old record player skipping on a imperfect track.  
  
It wasn't working anymore.  She was losing him.  
  
She had seen that earlier flash of...something brought on by her casual comment.  Even as they lay here together still and quiet, she was losing him bit by bit to the monster.  
  
She tried not to let the nagging fear overcome her again, glad Davis' eyes were on the stars and not her face.  What was the monster doing to Davis' mind?  Doomsday had already made him into a killer.  What else could the darkness twist him into doing...or being?  What if he was slipping away into a place she couldn't follow?  If the darkness won, would that mean the human part of him -- the part she loved -- would be gone?  
  
Already, she wasn't enough to keep the monster back.  Like just now.  And yesterday, Davis had almost lost control even though she was in the car right next to him.  The Beast had almost broken out, even as she held Davis' face between her sweating palms and stared into his eyes.  
  
And as she had faced down The Beast, she had seen something in that horrible red gaze.  
  
Patience.  
  
The Beast wasn't intelligent, but it was sly in the way of a fox hunting rabbits in their warren.  It would keep searching for a weakness until it broke through.  
  
And she had no idea how to fight it.  
  
Her mind was pulled back again from her dark musing by Davis' chuckle.  He had turned his head to look at her.  "We're actually gonna pull this off, aren't we?  Find someplace to...slow down, build a life together."  
  
Her heart almost broke at the hope in his voice as she rolled over to face him.  He didn't want to see it.  Admit it.  She smiled slightly at the swiftly unraveling dream he described.  That quiet life for them had never been closer -- or farther away.  But she couldn't bear to darken his mood with her own gloom, so she smiled instead and replied, "As long as we can keep the gods from hunting us."  
  
Mentally, she added, _And the monsters too..._  
  


* * *

  
  
The next day, Chloe and Davis reviewed their maps to determine a new path of travel that would hopefully shake any remaining pursuit.  Then Chloe went into town and purchased a number of items that would help them further disguise their identities -- new clothes, hair dye, makeup, the works.  
  
Unfortunately, before they ever got a chance to use any of it, they were discovered.  Chloe only had enough time to scream his name in horror when the dart pierced Davis' neck before she felt a sharp pain in her own back and everything went black.


	126. Chapter 126

Chloe roused slowly, feeling cold and uncomfortable.  Her vision was fuzzy, but sharpened quickly as her mind started working again.  She was on a strangely textured floor, looking at a familiar-seeming red backpack with a laptop and a black rock inside.  As she raised her gaze, she quickly recognized Bart, Dinah, and Oliver clustered together in their leather hero outfits.  
  
They were clustered around a bound and unconscious Davis.  
  
Her heart lurched at the sight of his quiet still form.  "What's going on?" she asked, fearful for Davis even though she knew it was stupid.  He couldn't be killed.  
  
Looking sheepish, Bart said, "Sorry about the tranq, beautiful. I, uh, kind of snuck up on you super fast."  
  
She clambered to her feet, looking around.  "Where's Clark?"  
  
Oliver turned to face her, and his cold, closed expression sent a wave of dread through her.  She knew that look.  It was the same look he had worn when he had when he confessed to killing Lex.  Looking down at Davis' still form, bound at Oliver's feet, she knew what it meant now.  Oliver had Davis' death written in his eyes.  
  
_**No!**_  
  
Pressing down her fear and panic, Chloe kept her voice steady.  She couldn't let them know where her heart lay or they might drug or restrain her again -- 'for her own good.'  "You found a way to kill him, didn't you?  And Clark wouldn't go along with it."  
  
Stepping forward, Dinah replied, "No. He wanted to play devil's advocate with the actual devil, split the Kryptonian from the human."  
  
Instantly, Chloe understood.  "Black kryptonite."  She looked down again at the backpack containing the black rock.  
  
"Only one glitch in his plan -- the whole beast part," Oliver said.  
  
"Last time we checked, he couldn't control his thornier alter ego," Bart added.  
  
They were going to kill Davis as a means of killing Doomsday, because the only person that could contain it -- Davis himself -- was losing control.  They also couldn't let Davis be separated from Doomsday, because -- even as talented as they were -- Oliver and his team wouldn't stand a chance against The Destroyer.  
  
Though maybe without a human life trapped inside the monster, maybe Clark would.  
  
But that was a risk the team wasn't willing to take.  
  
The way Oliver, Bart, and Dinah saw it, the only hope they had for stopping Doomsday without Clark was to sacrifice Davis while he still had the monster in check.  Before it was too late.  
  
But she couldn't allow them to do that.  She couldn't let them kill Davis.  But if she could get that black kryptonite....she moved closer, pleading -- and surreptitiously closing in on the backpack.  "But I can. As long as I stay with him, he doesn't change. Please don't do this to him."  
  


* * *

  
  
_Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do,_ Davis prayed as he fought the nightmare again.  
  
There was no way the people that shot him with the tranquilizer could have known that Davis had tried doping The Beast into submission months ago with anti-psychotic meds.  
  
The formulas of the tranquilizer they used and those anti-psychotics must have had some overlapping ingredients, because his body was quickly fighting back the effects, leaving Davis' mind suspended in an uneasy limbo.  Visions both terrifying and bizarre fought in his consciousness as the parts of himself fought for control.  His self -- the part he saw as Davis -- fought against the rage and destruction of Doomsday in a clear battle of wills.  Unfortunately, another part of The Beast -- the part that he had felt taking over his mind, manipulating him -- was more insidious.  
  
Davis clearly remembered the fight he'd had against Doomsday when he had been trapped in the fortress.  He remembered how he had been able to bend reality to his will to protect himself and his vision of Chloe.  He tried to do so again, to build walls and bind Doomsday within his mind.  
  
But every time he did, the insidious dark shadow that had been poisoning his mind would corrupt the image.  It had learned how he thought, and worse, how to work around him.  It knew all Davis' weak points, and used them as weapons, shooting daggers of his own pain, jealously, and fear into everything he tried to build to hold back The Beast.  The shadow was trying -- and succeeding -- in overcoming him with his own darker nature, making him easy prey for the looming monster.  Davis felt himself falling into the darkness within his mind as his detached physical form fought back toward consciousness.  
  
Would he awaken as the man or the monster?  
  
He didn't know until he heard _her_ voice.  Chloe's voice pleading at someone -- he assumed their captors -- not to harm him.  
  
Hearing her voice, Davis focused on it, pulled on the unraveling parts of his self and -- with a great thrust of will -- surged upwards towards consciousness.  
  
But he felt Doomsday and the shadow follow close behind...  
  


* * *

  
  
Feeling hard flooring under his back, Davis knew he had made it.  He had come back as a man.  Barely.  He was in control, but the monster burned through his insides, only just contained.  
  
Davis heard Chloe beseeching their captors, "As long as I stay with him, he doesn't change. Please don't do this to him."  
  
Do what?  What did they plan?  Experiments?  That wouldn't work.  He'd lose to the monster in minutes.  Unless....  
  
There was a certain note in Chloe's voice.  Fear.  And not just fear for his pain.  Fear for his life.  
  
Had they really found a way to kill him?  
  
_Yes..._ whispered in his mind.  
  
Hearing her impassioned pleading, Davis finally admitted to himself that the dream they'd had of running away together, settling down, had been just that.  A dream.  They had been living on borrowed time.  
  
Inside, he felt Doomsday pressing at him, trying to take over.  He continued to fight the creature back, but he felt himself losing ground too quickly.  The drug they had used had given his monstrous half and the darkness within the edge it had been waiting for.  
  
There was only one thing left he could do to keep Chloe safe.  
  
He had to buy enough time against Doomsday for these people to complete their task.  He had to hold it back long enough for them to kill him.  
  
Again.  
  
Forever.  
  
Davis opened his eyes and said simply, "They have to."  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe spun at the sound of Davis' voice.  She watched as he awkwardly rolled over onto his side, his still-bound hands in front of him.  His voice was full of pain as he spoke the unwanted truth.  "Chloe, it's not working anymore."  
  
A stab of pain pierced her heart to hear him admit their last hope was gone.  She reached out, moving towards him.  
  
"Chloe, wait," Oliver moved to stop her, but she touched his hand gently to reassure him.  Once she saw some of the humanity return to Oliver's gaze, she crouched down in front of Davis.  
  
"Chloe, you're not working," Davis admitted painfully as she gently cupped his face with her palm.  She willed her strength into him.  Willed her love to keep him here with her.  
  
"Davis, just focus on me, okay? We'll get through this together, just like we always have."  Even as she held him, Davis' breathing rate was visibly increasing, causing him to pant.  She knew the signs by now.  Doomsday was making another push at him.  
  
His breathing hitched abruptly and he painfully choked out, "I'm sorry. It's too late."  
  
Faster than ever before, Chloe watched in horror, as Davis' eyes went red.  
  
The monster had seized control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a very crucial turning point in "Doomsday," but as I went back through the episode there were a lot of gaps from one conversation to the next. I hope I gave it some more flow, as well as filled in the thoughts behind the words/actions of our duo!


	127. Chapter 127

He was lost to The Beast.  It had taken him over.  Davis barely felt his body climb to its feet as firm hands wrapped around his arms.  The monster controlling his body easily threw off their hold, snapping the zip-tie that kept his hands restrained.  His body started to deform into the monster's true shape.  As he screamed, the voice that came out was a terrifying combination of pain torn from a human throat and monstrous rage.  The small part that was still Davis was howling and flailing inside the echoing chasm that was Doomsday, frantically trying to regain control.  It was like trying to climb greased marble walls.  He no longer had any grip on The Beast.  It had won.  The darkness had taken over, subverting his connection to Chloe.  The monster and the dark madness were in control.  Even so, Davis tried.  He screamed and clawed back against the slippery surface of his own broken self.  He had to get to Chloe.  He had to protect Chloe.  He had to fight his way to Chloe.

  
But he couldn't.  
  
The twisted, dark part of his psyche wrapped around him, taunting.  They all knew what came next.  Doomsday would destroy everyone and everything he had ever cared about.  It would destroy the world.  
  
But first, it was going to destroy Chloe.  While he watched.  Its red eyes locked on the small blonde.  Her life was the single tether keeping Davis from being completely consumed.  When she was gone, he would be too.  Maybe that was best.  He wasn't sure he wanted to live in Doomsday's world without Chloe.  
  
A sharp metallic hiss filled the air, and the monster swung around, distracted from Chloe by Oliver.  The green-clad archer had a wicked-looking arrow notched and pointed directly at him.  
  
It was a useless, heroic gesture.  
  
 _No, you fool!  RUN!_ Davis screamed inside his mind to no avail.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe saw her chance.  Oliver had distracted Doomsday/Davis for a critical second.  That was all she needed.  
  
She bolted for the backpack, and snatched up the black crystal.  
  


* * *

  
  
The monster was so focused on the obvious foe, that it didn't see Chloe race up to him until it was too late.   
  
Oliver did.  
  
"Chloe, no!" he cried.  Too late.  
  
She thrust the crystalline black rock into Davis' chest.  Blue and white light exploded out from where the rock made contact with him.  
  


* * *

  
  
The pain was blinding, searing, tearing.  
  
Davis had thought his death by Kryptonite was the most awful pain imaginable.  
  
This was a thousand times worse.  
  
His body couldn't contain all of him anymore.  Doomsday's bony plates tore out from his body instead of growing and morphing from him.  The scream that tore from his throat sounded human...but he wasn't entirely sure it was him screaming.  It may have been...the other.  
  
His vision flashed blue, white, black, red.  
  
Davis felt something split from him with a wrenching pull.  It was a horrific sensation, but at the same time...better.  He heard a body fall back behind him, but couldn't pay it any attention.  Doomsday was fighting within him, trying to tear itself away, but at the same time trying to shred Davis as he broke free.  
  
With a concerted **_PUSH,_** Davis tore himself away from the grip of the monster.  In a flash of blinding pain and light, he fell forward onto his hands and knees on the concrete floor.  
  
For the first time, he heard the roaring of the monster with only his ears.  It no longer echoed inside his head.  
  
He was free of The Beast.  
  
Or maybe...it was free of _him_.  
  
For the first time, he looked up into that monstrous red gaze from the outside.  He had seen Doomsday during his visions at The Fortress, but this was a thousand times more horrifying.  This wasn't a simulation.  This was real and he was powerless.  
  
There was rage and hate and not a shred of anything human in that horrific creature.  It was no longer held in check by his will.  His will meant nothing to this...demon.  It leaned down over him, looking into Davis' eyes.  It seemed to want to experience his fear.  It wanted to... _gloat_ over him.  Even knowing this, Davis felt paralyzed as he saw the black ooze pouring from its mouth as it roared through jagged teeth, leaning in towards him.  Before he had a chance to react, one of the monster's hands shot out and seized his throat.  He felt his windpipe crush under its grip.  He couldn't breath through his crushed throat, not even to scream.  That didn't stop his body from trying.  He heard Chloe scream his name.  
  
 _Chloe!_  
  
Choking and struggling, Davis clawed at the monster's hand.  Pulling on an unexpected well of strength, to Davis' surprise -- and Doomsday's -- his seemingly ineffectual scrambling slightly loosened the monster's grip.  Davis dragged a tortured breath through his mangled throat.  But before he had any time to appreciate the miracle of it, another arrow bounced off Doomsday's shoulder.  Again, the monster's attention snapped from Davis to the the source of the arrow.  The archer.  Another arrow shot out and bounced away just as uselessly as the first.  The monster sent a quick glance to where it held up the twisting, choking Davis, before thrusting him away with incredible force.  Davis flew through the air for what felt like forever until he finally struck a concrete pillar.  His flight suddenly arrested, he heard a sickening _crack!_ His vision blossomed with new pain, as his mangled form tumbled from the pillar to collapse at the base.  The last thing he heard before the world went dark was Chloe's own shout -- cut off abruptly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may recall the canon here is going to be really rough, but I have a plan.


	128. Chapter 128

Chloe fought her way up from unconsciousness, fighting past the clinging visions of hate-filled red eyes .  The distracted Doomsday had struck her only casually, almost in passing, but it had knocked her out instantly.  She was surprised she had woken up at all.  After tossing Davis, the monster had seemed...distracted when it had turned back on her.  She didn't know what happened after she was knocked out, but judging by the other sprawled forms, the team had been completely outmatched by Doomsday.  She expected the monster's lack of focus was the only reason they weren't all just bloody splatters on the floor.  It had wanted to get away from this place quickly for some reason.  
  
Shifting slowly, she felt woozy and unsteady, but she was sure she heard Clark's voice.  As she struggled to sit up, he was there.  Clark was _there._  
  
"Hey, Chloe, are you ok?" Clark asked.  
  
Feeling a bit more steady, she replied.  "I think so."  
  
Clark's look was very intent.  "What happened here?"  
  
Anxiety almost overwhelmed her.  She had thought she was doing the right thing.  She couldn't just let Davis die.  And she couldn't let the guilt of Davis' death destroy Clark.  She had been sure using the black kryptonite was the right choice.  
  
She had been sure up until the moment she had caught Doomsday's eyes and hadn't seen any part of Davis in there.  The leash was off.  That rage-filled, terrible gaze had scared the hell out of her.  
  
"Exactly what you wanted, Clark. I split him. I split him from The Beast."  Chloe heard movement behind her as someone else roused.  It was Oliver.  Clark looked back over her shoulder, then up at the archer as he moved over to her as well.  
  
"Where did he go?" Clark asked Oliver.  
  
Oliver didn't have a reply.  He had been knocked out cold as well.  
  
She glanced around looking for Davis.  The monster had thrown him...so he may be back in the dark recesses of the plant.  She scanned the shadows, but didn't spot him.  She did see Dinah and Bart climb to their feet as Clark went into his "listening mode."  
  
Clark looked terrified but determined after he snapped back to them.  Looking at the team, he told them, "I'll get him back here, but I still need you to detonate the explosives." They nodded compliance.  
  
Oliver stepped forward, "Clark, you get him down that tunnel, we'll take care of the rest."  
  
Chloe felt her legs regaining some strength.  She should get up and search for Davis.  
  
With a whoosh, Clark was gone.  As her gaze followed where he had raced away, her eyes finally landed on Davis.  Somehow he had ended up behind her.  How had that happened?  Had she just imagined the monster throwing him like a toy into the darkness of the plant?  Or had he somehow come back at the monster after she had been knocked out?  
  
Either way, he wasn't moving.  She scrambled to he feet and rushed over to him.  He was unconscious, but she didn't see any blood.  How was that possible?  Though his shirt was torn and holed where Doomsday's spikes had pierced the fabric.  She shook him gently, "Davis?"  He didn't stir.  
  
She looked up at Oliver, Dinah, and Bart in entreaty.  "Quick!  Help me with him!"  
  
Oliver looked appalled, "Chloe, but he's --"  
  
Rage bubbled up in her.  "No, he's NOT!  He's a good man that was doing everything in his power to hold that creature in check.  It was eating him up inside, but he KEPT FIGHTING!  And now he needs our help."  She glared at the trio for a long moment until Dinah stooped to help her.  They checked Davis over for wounds, and other than a visibly receding lump on the back of the head he appeared intact.  
  
Chloe let out a deep sigh of relief, before stripping off her jacket and folding it into a pillow for Davis' wounded head.  After laying him gently onto the makeshift pillow, she turned to the others.  
  
"Ok, so how do we set this place up for when Clark gets back with Beasty?"  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe, Bart, Dinah, and Oliver worked frantically to configure the Geothermal Plant to implode upon the Core Shaft by a triggered detonation.  They needed to be sure that once Clark got back with Doomsday and forced the monster down into the mile-deep shaft they could collapse the tunnel, trapping the creature in the molten depths of the earth.  The tricky part would be timing it exactly.  They needed to be sure Clark was clear, but that the monster didn't get free as well.  None of them knew exactly how Clark would manage to get The Beast down there and free again, but they had to trust in him.  
  


* * *

  
  
They were just finishing up rigging the explosives around the plant when the very last person on earth Chloe ever would have expected rushed in.  
  
Jimmy Olsen.  
  
"Jimmy?" she asked in shock.  
  
He was smiling that warm open smile that she used to love.  The smile she thought never to see again.  
  
"Chloe!  Thank God!  Are you alright?"  He gripped her arms and ran his eyes over her, checking for injury.  
  
It was so bizarre, she had nothing to say.  What was Jimmy doing here and why was he acting like...the old Jimmy?  
  
He must have seen the questions in her eyes.  "Clark sent me to find you and..."  His eyes cut away to the still-unconscious Davis at their feet and his words stumbled.  "And...Davis and take you someplace safe."  
  
"Wait, what?"  
  
"I promise I'll explain, Chloe, but we have to get out of here."  
  
"Jimmy, I --"  
  
"He's right," Oliver cut in.  "Everything is ready for when Clark gets back with Mr Ugly.  So if everyone is present and accounted for, we all have to get out of here."  
  


* * *

  
  
Back in the recessed darkness of the storage room of the geothermal plant, hidden by broken crates and barrels, the still form of a man lay unconscious.  His shape deformed by a twisted and broken back.

* * *

**Author's Advertisement:** I'm doing another event in May for Smallville Sunken ships. It will be open to ALL non-canon ships (Chlex, Chlark, Clex, etc). To participate you must agree to also complete a work for another person, but it is open to art, vids, stories, meta, whatever! The link to the event is: [svsunkenships.livejournal.com](svsunkenships.livejournal.com).

 


	129. Chapter 129

Davis struggled for consciousness in shadowy darkness below the concrete pillar.  He couldn't see anything, hemmed in as he was by broken crates and barrels in the darkness.  His body was overloading his mind with pain, forcing him back into unconsciousness.  The only part of him that didn't scream in pain were his legs.  
  
 _Broken back_ , filtered through his muzzy pain-dead mind.  
  
 _No!  That couldn't be!_ If his back was broken, there was no way to protect Chloe.  No way to save her.  
  
Assuming she still lived.  
  
 ** _No!_** She had to still be alive.  After all they had been through, after all the pain and agony he had suffered, he couldn't be trapped in this life without her!  
  
Which meant his back _couldn't_ be broken.  Chloe needed him.  
  
He focused his attention on his legs, pulling on some unknown source of strength, trying to force feeling, force _life_ into his recalcitrant limbs.  
  
Suddenly, he felt something from them.  He might have rejoiced...if the excruciating pain hadn't caused him to lose consciousness again.  
  


* * *

  
  
_"Everything is ready for when Clark gets back with Mr Ugly.  So if everyone is present and accounted for, we all have to get out of here," Oliver said._  
  
He looked around confirming Bart, Dinah, Jimmy, and Chloe were all there.  The unconscious form of Davis still lay on the floor, pillowed on Chloe's jacket.  
  
Catching the speedster's eye, Oliver asked, "Bart, you did a check of the plant, right?  Made sure nobody came back after the evacuation?"  
  
Bart gave Oliver a jaunty salute, complete with his trademark cocky smile.  "Sure did."  He disappeared for a second, before solidifying again.  "Twice."  
  
Leaning down, Oliver heaved the unconscious form of Davis onto his muscular shoulder.  "Ok, let's go."  
  


* * *

  
  
When Davis awoke again, he thought he heard voices, but he wasn't sure.  He was in too much pain to think clearly.  He wanted to scream, wanted to call out, but his throat was too raw.  The voices receded a moment later and he found himself almost glad.  Without the noise, he could slip back into unconsciousness again.  
  


* * *

  
  
Oliver drove with Dinah while Chloe and the unconscious Davis rode with an insistent Jimmy to their rendezvous point.  The location they chose was a highway overlook that had a good view of the plant.  Bart, of course, used his own feet to get there well ahead of anyone else.  
  
Dinah flipped open a laptop they had connected to the video feed from inside the plant.  They would use the video feed to confirm when Clark had the monster in the mile-deep tunnels.  Chloe opened her own computer and tapped into the traffic camera network in Metropolis to monitor the situation in the city.  Bart and Oliver moved behind to watch their screens.  Visibly feeling awkward, Jimmy moved out to stand out on the bluff to watch over the plant and the still-unconscious form of Davis.  The tightly pressed group of the team watched the screen anxiously as Clark fought against Doomsday in the middle of a city that seemed to be full of smoke and chaos.  The fearsome blows of The Beast had an effect on Clark that Chloe had rarely seen before.  
  
Doomsday could make Clark bleed.


	130. Chapter 130

Hidden back in the recesses of the geothermal plant, Davis struggled back toward consciousness.  He felt weak and broken in body, his back and legs screaming at him to go back down into the darkness of sleep.  But something else pushed at him to wake, to move.  Pulling his scattered thoughts, Davis thought he felt...something.  Deep and far, he felt a huge well of power.  A memory drifted back.  This was the power he had used when Doomsday had him by the throat.  The power was both like, and unlike, the power he had been able to tap through the monster that had been inside himself.  It had the same force, but it didn't feel tainted anymore since he wasn't pulling through Doomsday's rage and evil.  The power felt...raw and alien but not _dark_.  
  
And it had been strong enough to let him push back against Doomsday, a maneuver that had clearly disconcerted The Beast.  
  
Seizing onto that power, Davis exerted an effort against the last clinging tendrils of sleep.  He felt strength flooding back into his broken body.  Into his _entire_ body.  
  


* * *

  
  
Chloe watched the computer screen in horror as the incredible blow of The Beast sent Clark flying completely through a brick building and out of sight of the camera feed.  Quickly, she switched to another camera so they could follow the action.  
  
Clark lay bleeding and obviously disoriented in a heap of rubble outside the Metropolis theater.  
  
"Come on, Clark.  Get up..." she pleaded with the small red-clad shape on the screen.  
  
Then with a booming landing that sent the security camera shaking, Doomsday crashed down from the sky to loom over her sprawled best friend.  
  
"Get up, Clark!"  she found herself now screaming at the screen image.  
  


* * *

  
  
Seizing onto the strength that was now flooding through him, Davis forced himself to his feet.  
  
He had no idea how he was able to do so, but he was standing.  He felt strong and... _whole_ as the power poured into him.  
  
How was that possible?  He was sure his back had been broken, but now he was on his feet and his other wounds were closing before his eyes.  He felt good, except for his throat, where Doomsday had nearly crushed it.  That still felt raw -- making both breathing and swallowing difficult.  
  
But his back, his legs...felt fine.  
  
Tentatively, he started walking.  He could _walk!_  
  


* * *

  
  
On the video screen, Chloe watched as Doomsday inexplicable threw his arms wide, as if trying to break free of something.  The moment of distraction before the monster readied another deadly punch, gave Clark just the moment he needed.  
  
Rolling slightly, Clark wedged his foot back against the rubble around him and pushed off with incredible force, plowing his shoulder into the monster's midsection.  
  
The mighty blow shot both Clark and Doomsday into the sky together.  
  
Looking up from the screen, the gathered heroes watched two shapes hurtle out of the sky and crash into the Geothermal plant.  
  
The crash landing of the two aliens into the plant must have triggered some of the explosives, because great blasts erupted from several sides of the plant.  The small group felt the blasts of heat and the ground pulse with the force of the the explosions from their lookout point.  
  
"Oh no..." Chloe and Dinah said together, both immediately seeing the problem when they looked back at their computer screens.  
  
"What?" Bart asked.  
  
Ignoring the question, Dinah pulled up her own computer and started checking the explosive network they had created a short time ago.  Chloe was using her own computer to log back into the security cameras of the Geothermal Plant as she explained.  "Those explosives weren't supposed to go off yet.  They were only supposed to go off once Clark had the monster in the shaft."  
  
Dinah picked up the explanation.  "Now we've lost half the explosives for nothing and we have no idea where or in what condition Clark or the monster are."  
  
"We need to find them!" Oliver exclaimed, an edge of panic in his voice.  
  
"Crap!  Half the cameras are out and of the ones still up, half of _them_ seem to be obscured by smoke!"  Chloe felt panic rise and she frantically sought some sign of what had happened to Clark and Doomsday.  
  
 _Please be alive, Clark!_  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis staggered back to his feet, painfully coughing out the noxious smoke from his lungs.  His throat was on fire from the combined pain of his injuries and the smoky air.  Debris was everywhere, but thankfully the concrete pillar that had earlier broken his back had this time proved to be his salvation.  It had shielded him from much of the falling rubble.  Waving his arm before his face in an attempt to clear the air, Davis didn't notice the leg sticking out from under a mound of debris until he nearly tripped over it.  
  
Moving around the debris, Davis saw that it was Clark.  The red-clad man was partially hidden and seemingly out cold.  Davis' response was automatic.  He went into EMT mode.  Without moving the debris -- which might harm more than help -- Davis started searching the big man over carefully for wounds.  To his surprise, he found a number of injuries, though none appeared to be life-threatening as they were already healing.  
  
But _something_ \-- and Davis doubted very much it was anything as minor as the plant half-collapsing on Clark, had injured the other Kryptonian.  Clark began moaning groggily.  Now sure that moving Clark would cause no further damage, Davis freed the fallen man from the debris.  As Davis knelt down next to the newly-freed Clark, he suddenly remembered.  
  
 _Doomsday._ Clark must have been fighting Doomsday.  
  
As if called upon by the very thought of its name, the monster let out a great bellow which shook the plant to its fractured foundations.  
  
The Beast was nearby and hunting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fight between Doomsday and Clark was so disappointing to me on the show. All that buildup and it was just...over. I hated that. Also, as I began to work through this story, I came to realize that the fight/plant explosion as shown made no sense either for what they were trying to accomplish or following the timeline. So I'm fixing/expanding the confrontation to make sense.


	131. Chapter 131

Doomsday's resounding roar of challenge echoed loudly even above the sound of the fires and falling debris in the half-collapsed Geothermal Plant.  In the near distance, Davis watched in horror as debris flew out of the path of the still-unseen monster.  It was tearing the place apart looking for Clark.  It was clearly unsure where exactly to find the big man, but eventually it would locate him.  
  
Davis tried waking Clark by shaking him, but he wasn't responding.  Davis tried to speak through his mangled throat, but only raw sounds came out.  For some reason his crushed throat wasn't recovering like the rest of him.  His broken back had completely healed, but not his throat.  A thought started to bubble up.  His broken back had resulted when he hit the pillar.  His throat had been crushed by the monster's own hand.  Was that the difference?  Was injury directly caused by Doomsday something he couldn't recover from?  
  
If so, that put even more urgency on the situation.  Davis doubted the monster would make the same mistake twice in "killing" him.  And looking down at the still-unconscious Clark, the other Kryptonian didn't look up to facing the monster either.  
  
Giving up on waking the other man, Davis reached down and pulled Clark up, then draped him over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.  
  
As he carried away the other Kryptonian, Davis' mind raced.  There had to be a reason why Oliver's team and now Clark kept coming back to this place.  He knew they had found a way to kill him and the monster.  Could he use the same plan to kill the monster himself?  
  
He only wished he knew what their plan had been.  He'd been fighting under the influence of the sedatives at the time Oliver's team must have discussed it.  Looking at Clark's slack face, Davis knew there would be no answers coming from that direction.  
  
Clark started mumbling,  "The shafts...need to get it to the shafts..."  
  
Or maybe there would...  
  
But shafts?  What shafts?  Davis' eyes raked the walls around them for signs, for clues.  He wasn't even sure where they were in the plant.  
  
Or if Chloe was safe.  
  
He quickly pushed that thought aside.  Oliver and Clark would have made sure Chloe was safe before bringing the monster back here.  
  
So he just needed to see himself and Clark safe.  All while evading the monster that was tearing through the plant with frightening speed and ferocity.  
  
Good thing he was used to challenges.  
  
If they were to have a chance of escape, Davis would need more speed himself.  
  
Davis started drawing upon that vast power well again, but as soon as he did, the noise of Doomsday tearing apart the plant stopped.  Then a moment later, the noise of the angry monster started again, and it was coming directly towards them!  It almost seemed to know where they were now.  Could it sense them?  
  
Then suddenly, Davis _knew._  
  
The monster didn't sense _them_.  It sensed _Davis._ It had sensed when he had tapped into the power to give him speed.  The monster had known when he used it.  
  
Then Doomsday had come after him to finish what it had started.  
  
 _Crap!_  
  
Davis released the lingering power he had collected, and instantly the huge man's weight almost toppled him.  He had unconsciously used some of the power to lighten the load of carrying the massive man.  Recovering his balance again, Davis was suddenly glad that being an EMT had built real muscle that could help him without any powers.  
  
But now he had to get Clark away from him.  Judging by the way the monster had instantly focused on him, it was now clear that Davis was the new target.  
  
"Bury him in the shafts..." Clark mumbled.  
  
Then Davis' scanning eyes landed on a sign and he suddenly understood Clark and Oliver's plan.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis deposited Clark in what he hoped was a safe location, hidden behind a large pillar.  Over Clark's head was the clue that had revealed the other Kryptonian's plan.  
  
The sign said ' **TO CORE SHAFTS** ' and had an arrow that pointed the way.  
  
Davis ran as fast as human abilities would allow down the aisle toward the Core Shafts.  Once he felt he was clear enough from Clark to keep the other man safe, Davis drew upon the well of power and burst into a superspeed run towards what he hoped would be Doomsday's living grave.  
  
The monster released a savage roar at the power drain.  Its entire focus was on Davis.  
  
Fear almost overwhelmed him.  He didn't want to do this.  He didn't want to face down the monster that had used him as a human camouflage his whole life.  
  
But with Clark out of commission there was no one else, and he and Chloe would never really be safe or free while the monster was loose.  
  
He put on even more speed as he raced towards the Core Shafts with Doomsday's monstrous roar or rage and challenge echoing through the hallways on his heels.

* * *

  
  
Doomsday's resounding roar jolted Clark awake.  Clark blinked his eyes in confusion.  His mind was still muddled from being knocked unconscious by Doomsday when they had crash-landed into the plant.  An instinctive frisson of fear shot through him, clearing away the last muzziness in a wave of deafening sound.  Clark's thoughts fell quickly back into place and he looked around at his surroundings.  He was at the Geothermal plant.  
  
So was Doomsday.  
  
So why he still alive?  Luck?  Had it just not found him yet?  
  
He had intended to land them near the shafts, but the monster had been impossibly strong, dwarfing even Clark's own incredible strength.  Its airborne fight against him had thrown them off course and they had exploded into the wrong area of the deserted plant.  
  
Picking himself up from where he had lain hidden, Clark turned to face the sound of the monster's roars.  Taking a deep breathe to steel himself, he turned to once more face the direction of the alien nightmare.  Then Clark supersped towards the sound of its rage.  
  


* * *

  
  
Luthorcorp hadn't scrimped on safety.  They had blocked access to the Core Shafts behind a multitude of triple-reinforced doors.  Each one required increasingly detailed keycards, keypad locks, and finally -- biometric access to pass.  Luthorcorp had made sure there was no way any unauthorized personnel could reach the mile-deep pits that tapped into the very core of the earth's energy.  
  
They were excellent safety measures.  Unless you can tap into the power of a Kryptonian.  
  
Davis punched his way through the myriad security and containment chambers that led to the final core shaft access without breaking his stride.  
  
Unfortunately, Doomsday followed only a heartbeart behind.  The monster was as unhindered by the security measures as Davis was.  It didn't even pause as it tore even bigger holes through the doors to match the smaller ones made by Davis.  
  
Davis knew he had to get Doomsday down into the shaft without letting the monster get its hands on him.  If Doomsday caught him again, Davis knew this time it would kill him for sure.  It knew it was Davis tapping into and stealing from the power source the two of them shared.  And it was clear Doomsday hated that with a rage-filled passion that even seemed to eclipse its desire to find and kill Clark.  
  
That made Davis the perfect bait.  
  
Davis tried not to think that bait was generally speared on a hook as part of the effort to catch the big fish.  
  
Thankfully though, Davis knew the monster better than anyone.  It had been part of him his whole life, even if he hadn't known exactly what it was until recently.  These last months fighting The Beast had given him an insight into what it was capable of.  Its strengths and weaknesses.  
  
True, it was impossibly strong and fast and couldn't be killed...but it could be enraged into irrational action, as it had been before.  And it wasn't smart or devious on its own -- only when it had been in his head.  
  
So all Davis had to do was enrage it into charging into the Core Tunnel.  
  
Without getting caught or trapped in the tunnel himself.  
  
God help him.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis reached the Core Shaft room only seconds ahead of Doomsday.  The room was large, with a chest-high reinforced safety rail all around the pit's edge.  Even though the tunnel was over a mile deep, waves of incredible heat radiated up from the mouth of the Core Shaft.  
  
If ever there was a fiery hell meant for a demon, this was it.  
  
Using his precious few seconds of lead time, Davis scanned the pit's perimeter quickly until he saw an area he thought would work for his insane plan.  
  
Then his time was up.  The monster burst into the room.  
  
Focusing its evil gaze upon him, The Beast bellowed in triumph at seeing Davis seemingly trapped.  
  
Even after only a few hours, Davis had somehow forgotten how terrible the creature was in person.  Its insanely enraged red eyes fell upon him and sent a frisson of fear along his spine.  He sent out a quick prayer, desperately beseeching for divine help with his plan.  
  
Then, as he so often did when all seemed lost, he thought of Chloe.  
  
Just the thought of her calmed his nerves instantly.  Chloe was away from this place and no doubt waiting for him.  She would stay safe if he could disable this last threat.  
  
With the monster nullified, they might actually have a chance at a normal life together.  
  
Davis' will resolved and as he met the monster's horrible red eyes again.  This time, he didn't flinch.  In spite of his injured throat, Davis forced his defiance out in a harsh voice, "I am not your cover anymore!  I'm finally free of you, but I know you.  I know how to stop you."  Then dropping his rough voice, he said softer, "I will always stop you."  
  
Then Davis began drawing down as much power as he could.  
  
As he had expected, Doomsday bellowed in mindless rage.  It charged Davis like a maddened bull would go after a red cape, without any subtly or finesse.  The monster obviously intent only on seizing and tearing its quarry limb from limb.  
  
Davis' plan, such as it was, was to lure the monster into such a headlong charge at its foe, that it would be unable to stop in time to prevent plunging headlong into the molten pit at Davis back.  With all the power pulsing through him, Davis knew he'd be fast.  But so was Doomsday.  To make sure the plan worked, Davis had to stand his own ground at the edge of the shaft until the last moment.  Only then could he unleash all his seized power in a desperate sideways leap.  
  
As Davis had planned, Doomsday charged him without restraint, putting all its incredible might into its headlong rush.  
  
Unfortunately, the monster was much more skilled in its inherent power than Davis was in his rarely-used, borrowed powers.  
  
Davis was just a second too slow in his sideways leap.  
  
The monster's claws raked across his shoulder and arm as Davis shot desperately away.  The contact only had a small percentage of the Beast's power behind it, but it sent Davis flying completely out of control.  He crashed off into a section of the barrier further down, crushing the safety railing around the shaft almost flat.  
  
Then, his momentum still unarrested, Davis rolled over the crushed barrier's side and into the sweltering pit.  
  
As he fell over, Davis saw the fleeting contact between them has also diverted enough of the monster's charge, that it had only crashed into the guardrails, bending the reinforced metal, but not bursting through the barrier.  
  
Against all reason and hope, the monster was safe.  
  
Instead, Davis was the one falling into the pit while the monster roared above.


	132. Chapter 132

Chloe frantically flipped between video feeds that were still active in the Geothermal plant.  On one feed, she swore she saw a whooshing figure followed by another one heading towards the Core shafts.  
  
But she hadn't been sure.  
  
The next several cameras  between that one and the Core Shafts hadn't been functional.  
  
Then she saw it.  A form burst through a security door, followed by a larger, monstrous shape.  She couldn't make out any details of the figures since they were moving so fast, but there was only one pair of beings that were both strong and fast enough to move like that.  
  
It had to be Clark with Doomsday following close behind.  
  
"He's alive!," she burst out.  "Clark's alive and luring the creature to the Geothermal Shaft!"  At her joyous exclamation, the other heroes crowded around her laptop.  She turned to Dinah.  "Be ready with those explosives when Clark gives the signal."  
  
Dinah nodded, moving back to her own computer.  
  
With the last feed open, they watched as the forms burst into the Core Shaft room.  
  
A room without any working cameras.  
  
"Shit!" Chloe exclaimed, flipping through a succession of other cameras, trying to find a way to see into the room.  
  
She was too busy to see the third shape whoosh into the Core Shaft room.  
  


* * *

  
  
Doomsday let out a roar of triumph and blood lust as it stood at the pit's edge looking down.  Clark stopped just short of the Core Shaft room's entrance watching The Beast.  He didn't know what the monster was doing, but it was clearly distracted.  
  
And its back was to the room's entrance.  
  
This was his chance.  Reaching into his pocket, Clark was glad to find his phone.  The screen was badly broken, but it still appeared functional enough.  He sent a silent text message to Dinah to set the explosive on the geothermal shafts to go off in twenty seconds.  He didn't send her anything more.  He hoped he made it out alive, but no matter what else happened, he would get that creature into the shaft if he had to drag it down there himself.  
  
Either way, it would all be over in less than a half-minute.  
  
Clark braced against the door, then launched himself at the monster's back with all his might.  
  


* * *

  
  
"It's a text from Clark!"  Dinah exclaimed when her phone chirped.  Opening the message, she quickly read, "He wants me to set off the explosions in 20 seconds."  
  
"Twenty seconds?  But how can we be sure Clark is free first?"  Chloe asked, concerned that Clark might be planning something heroic and suicidal.  
  
"He doesn't say," the other woman replied.  "He just said to set off the explosions in 20 seconds."  
  
"But...but..."  Chloe fumbled for words.  
  
Oliver put a hand on her shoulder.  "Chloe.  It will be all right.  I made a mistake not trusting in Clark before.  I'm not making that mistake again.  He can do this."  
  
Chloe swallowed, then nodded.  
  
Dinah set the trigger countdown for the explosives.  
  
Looking over at Davis' still-unconscious form in the car where Jimmy watched over him, Chloe whispered softly, "It's going to be OK, Davis.  It will all be over soon.  Then you'll really be free."  
  
Then she turned back to watch the impossibly fast countdown on Dinah's computer screen.  
  


* * *

  
  
Coming swift and silent at the monster's back, Clark pulled his arm back, using all the power of his muscled shoulders and back to add weight and force behind him.  Pouring in all his righteous anger, he delivered an earth shattering overhand punch that sent the distracted monster careening over the bent barrier and into the dark, sweltering pit.  The monster let out an echoing roar of defiance and dismay as it fell.  
  
Collapsing back in shock and stupefied amazement at his success, Clark leaned against a control panel as the monster's roars grew swiftly fainter.  
  
He had done it.  
  
He had gotten Doomsday down the Geothermal shaft, a tunnel that went down for over a mile under the earth's surface.  
  
He heard the memory of Rok's voice in his head, _No force on earth can stop it._  
  
Well, once they collapsed this tunnel, Doomsday would be trapped _under_ the earth, effectively neutralizing the monster.  
  
Clark checked the timer he had set when he texted Dinah.  He had just seconds, but it should be enough time for him to get clear before the blast.  With the fading sounds of the monster's incoherent rage still coming from the depths of the pit, Clark's feet started racing him away from the doomed Geothermal Plant.  When he cast a last look back over his shoulder at the fast-disappearing Core Shaft room, panic seized at his heart.  Skidding to a halt and almost going through a wall in his distraction, Clark looked back in horror at what he saw in the now-distant room.  
  
A human hand reaching out and gripping the edge of the torn away safety railing.  
  
Someone had fallen into the pit, and was now trying to crawl their way back up.  
  
Too late.  
  
Oliver's team had failed.  They hadn't gotten everyone clear.  Doomsday had found one last victim.  Even down here, where it should have been safe, the monster had found one final human life to extinguish.  
  
And it was all Clark's fault.  
  
Because even as fast as he was, Clark knew it was too late.  
  
The explosives could already be heard erupting in the depths of the Core shaft, and would soon take down the whole plant.  
  
Clark stood frozen in horror, watching the hand resolve into an arm, then a shoulder, then...  
  
The rest of the shaft explosives detonated and the Core Room became nothing but fire and smoke.


	133. Chapter 133

Davis felt the echoing booms far below as he hauled himself up the maintenance ladder.  After rolling over the the safety barrier and into the shaft, he'd fallen several dozen feet, before finally managing to scrabble a secure enough grip on the slim ladder to stop his plummet into the hot, dark depths of the tunnel.  When he had chosen where to make his stand, he had feared something like this.  So he had made his play near the ladder just in case the worst had come to pass.  He hadn't feared Doomsday might use the same save, because the monster was much too heavy for the flimsy structure to support.  
  
Unfortunately, Davis hadn't counted on the mauling to his arm and shoulder.  The wounds from Doomsday's blow made the climb up the narrow ladder extremely difficult, even with the font of incredible strength and speed pulsing through his body.  As he fought to drag himself upward, Davis reflected it didn't matter how strong a muscle was if it torn away from the bone.  The limb still wasn't going to work right.  
  
And it seemed Doomsday had known it too.  The Beast had stood at the edge of the shaft roaring in victory, watching its injured foe painfully climbing back up.  It didn't even try to stop him by tearing away the ladder.  Davis wasn't sure if the creature just wasn't smart enough to think of that, if it thought that plummeting Davis into the inferno below still wouldn't break their connection...or if it wanted to tear him apart with its own massive hands some more.  
  
Davis had no idea what he would do when he reached the top and the waiting monster again, but he only saw three options.  He could wait suspended on the ladder until he was so overcome by exhaustion and blood loss that he fell.  He could just let go now and plummet a mile down into the center of the earth.  Or he could choose to climb up instead.  
  
Maybe by the time he reached the top, he'd have some sort of new plan.  
  
Then came a powerful whoosh of air that Davis felt even down in the pit, followed by a resounded crash of impervious flesh meeting imperious flesh.  Then miraculously, Doomsday was sent flying out from his perch on the edge of the Core Shaft like some sort of awful bird taking flight.  With a howl of disbelieving and all-consuming rage, the monster arced out and down into the darkness of the superheated tunnel.  Davis blinked in shock.  Someone -- and a moment later he realized it could only be Clark -- had taken advantage of Doomsday's distracted gloating to attack the monster from behind.  Clark had succeeded in getting the monster down into the recesses of the Core Shaft.  
  
As his eyes followed where the monster had disappeared into the darkness, something attached to the edge of the tunnel caught his eye.  
  
Explosives.  
  
 _Oh shit._  
  
His eyes now darting around the tunnel, Davis saw a multitude of other explosive devices attached to the sides of the Core Shaft.  
  
Then the second part of Oliver and Clark's plan came to him.  They were going to collapse the plant and trap Doomsday in the molten core of the Earth.  The explosions that had previously rocked the plant must have gone off at the wrong time.  
  
But now with the monster in the shaft, it was the time to set off the charges and bury the monster forever.  
  
And him too if he didn't get out _**NOW**_.  
  
Taking a breath, Davis told himself: First step was to get out of this pit.  Once he was back on level ground, his wounded arm and shoulder wouldn't matter as much when he ran.  
  
Surging all his strength into his good arm, Davis swung from side to side like a monkey until he had enough momentum to fling himself up higher on the ladder.  It took longer than he would have liked and the swinging rattled his mangled arm, but it was effective.  Three times more, Davis repeated the maneuver until he was close enough to the edge of the pit to reach up and grasp the torn edge of the safety railing.  Securing his grip, he used his good arm to haul himself up, slowly and painfully.  
  
Then the explosions started.  
  
Echoing in the hot, dark, deepness below him, Davis felt the concussive **_BOOM, BOOM, BOOM_** of the explosions in the shaft, nearly causing him to lose his grip.  He risked a glance down and instead of an endless darkness, he saw flashes of light.  The effect was almost mesmerizing in its horror.  It looked like one of Dante's fiery pits of hell, bursts of flame lighting up twisted metal and falling earth.  And underneath the booming sounds of the explosions and the sharp screeches of metal, he could still hear the insane rage-filled roars of The Beast.  
  
Trying to keep panic from overwhelming him, Davis turned his attention back to his grip on the safety railing.  If he could only get over that edge, he could run.  He could make it.  He could get back to Chloe.  
  
With a great heave of effort, Davis surged all the power he could bear into his gripping arm and hauled himself up and over the edge of the pit.  
  
Then the shaft exploded into flames.  
  


* * *

  
  
Davis was choking.  Coughing on his knees in a world made of fire.  The explosion had blasted him away from the pit, but his torn shoulder and arm felt aflame inside and out.  He forced himself to his feet, surprised to find Clark stumbling around the room, tearing at debris, as if searching for something...or someone.  
  
"Are you here?" he heard the big man calling as he tore through the debris.  
  
Was Clark looking for... _him?_  
  
Davis tried to call out, but between his injuries and the choking smoke, nothing but a cough came out.  But Clark must have heard him anyway, because he spun in Davis' direction, squinting through the smoke and flame.  Clark was so focused on trying to see him, that he didn't notice the beam hovering above his own head.  
  
But Davis saw it.  
  
He didn't know if the beam could hurt Clark or not in his current condition, but he wasn't going to stand idly by.  
  
Surging all his power into his legs, Davis leaped across the intervening space, driving his good shoulder into the rock-like stomach of Clark, knocking him clear of the path of the beam.  In fact, Davis hit him with such force that the other Kryptonian was thrown completely clear of the fiery room.  Seeing the large man struggle back to his feet in the far room, Davis smiled and let out a little breath of relief.  
  
He had saved **_Clark._** Freed from the monster, he could finally make his own choices.  Only now, could he truly be the kind of man that Chloe deserved.  
  
Then the Core Room exploded around him and Davis knew nothing more than pain and fire as he was blown away by the terrible force of the blast.  
  


* * *

  
  
Out on the bluff overlooking the exploding plant, Oliver, Chloe, Dinah, Bart, and Jimmy gaped in horror.  They hadn't seen anything speed away from the wreckage and their phones remained ominously silent.  
  
They were all too busy gaping at the fires below to notice Davis' body twitch.  But even if they had, they couldn't have known what was going on inside the quiet form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM *drop the mike* That's how that fight and the plant explosion should have played out.


	134. Chapter 134

The Darkness became aware.  It felt very strange.  The body it was in was...different.  Incomplete.  Empty.  
  
It knew it was in the mortal form of "Davis", but for the first time since its inception, both other consciousnesses were gone.  
  
The Darkness was alone.  
  
It had been created by Doomsday to corrupt and conquer its mortal camouflage when "Davis" had taken on too great a strength.  Davis -- who should have been an easily disposable human shell -- had formed a core of strength and will that the unintelligent and unsubtle monster had proven unable to break through.  That inability for Doomsday to take control had proven a hindrance for its mission -- to find and kill the escaped Kal-El.  So, as was its nature, Doomsday had adapted -- and created The Darkness.  The Darkness had quickly infiltrated and began corrupting Davis' mind, carefully stripping parts of his life away as a means to bring him down -- and make him susceptible to Doomsday's takeover.   The Darkness had proven so adept at its poisoning, that it was almost too late before Davis saw what was happening and tried to stop it.  By then, The Darkness had taken away almost all of the man's identity before he had even realized what was happening.  
  
Davis' friends.  His job.  His morality.  All of it -- Gone.  
  
Except for Chloe.  
  
Chloe had been a bulwark for Davis that The Darkness couldn't cross and couldn't taint, no matter how it tried.  It would try to crack into Davis' memories of Chloe and how he perceived her, but they remained inviolate...and tantalizing.  The Darkness had been granted a limited understanding of the human emotion and consciousness to facilitate it in its mission.   Using that, it understood and easily manipulated the darker parts of Davis psyche --  jealousy, fear, anger, insecurity, helplessness, and pain.  But for the sending born of Doomsday's rage and hate, the extremely powerful, warm, and light-filled love Davis had for Chloe was both inviolable and bewitching.  
  
Beguiled and frustrated with its failure to breach Davis' mental strength around Chloe, The Darkness had starting tainting Davis' life with her.  
  
If it couldn't destroy their love, it would destroy their lives instead.  
  
The result would be the same.  
  
But now, it was alone and...unchained.  It was no longer trapped within Davis' mind, or subject to Doomsday's command.  It was...free.  
  
No longer did it have to filter information down through Davis' or Doomsday's perceptions.  It could sense.  Could feel.  Could hear.  
  
It could hear people talking.  
  
No.  Not just people.  
  
 _Chloe._  
  
Slitting his eyes open just slightly, The Darkness watched her.  She was small with bright hair and a determined expression.  The sight of her triggered a flood of impressions and thoughts.  Confusing mixed images as she was perceived by both Doomsday and Davis.  
  
For Davis, she was a shining beacon of light -- a tantalizing love strong enough to keep her safe and free from any taint within his mind.  Such a love had great power.  Enough power to hold back even Doomsday.  
  
For Doomsday, Chloe had been something much simpler.  An obstacle.  An insignificant thing that needed to be eradicated so it could be rid of its human camouflage once and for all.  Then it could finally destroy Kal-El -- No, he was _Clark_ here -- as it had been directed.  
  
But now both Davis and Doomsday were both gone.  Only The Darkness remained.  
  
And Chloe.  
  
More visions of Chloe as seen by Davis.  Chloe close to him, under a light that cast a glow over her upturned face.  Chloe walking up to him with a broad smile as he sat nervously at a table with a small red box.  Chloe kissing him on the couch of his apartment.  Chloe's naked skin and the taste of her on his tongue as she cried out in pleasure.  
  
The Darkness had probed deep in Davis' mind, and seen these protected thoughts, but had been unable to manipulate them.  Fascinated, it had only been able to watch and...desire.  Now with both Davis and Doomsday gone maybe...The Darkness should be the one to claim the spoils.  It may finally be able to understand,  to finally get to taste the sweetness so long held away.  
  
Did she know her Davis was gone and only The Darkness remained behind?  If not, that would make things so much easier.  She needn't know of Davis' death and the new resident in his body.  It could become _he._  
  
He could know what this love between Davis and Chloe really was.  
  
 _He_ would have it.  
  
But not yet.  
  
He would wait until the moment was right.  Then he would strike.  The Darkness knew patience, waiting for Chloe.  He had learned it from Davis.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Damn it!  I need a visual!" Oliver screamed at Chloe and Dinah.  
  
"We're trying!  All the cameras are gone.  Blown up with the plant."  Chloe snapped back, holding onto her anger at the blonde man.  If she was angry, she wasn't panicking.  And if she wasn't panicking, she wasn't crying.  But of course she wasn't crying.  The only reason she would have to cry right now was if Clark was dead.  
  
And Clark couldn't be dead.  
  
Not after everything.  Clark couldn't die, the world needed him too much.  She risked a glance back over her shoulder at the still-unconscious Davis, she tried not to think he had been out far too long.  What if Clark was gone and Davis never woke up?  
  
She'd be alone.  Alone without the two most important men in her life.  
  
Just then Jimmy walked into her line of view.  
  
 _Oh yes, Jimmy._ She had forgotten all about him.  
  
Was he really back?  Was he really himself again?  
  
Shaking her head, she returned her attention to the screen before her again.  
  
She had to find Clark, because he was the only one she could help right now.

* * *

  
  
All night Chloe, Oliver, Bart, and Dinah scoured the area around the plant in their own ways.  Oliver called and had a satellite retasked to focus on the site of what had been a Geothermal plant only a few hours before.  Using the relays sent back from the satellite, Chloe and Dinah crawled the imagery using every scan they could think of -- visual, IR, and thermal.  Unfortunately, the heat from the still-burning plant was throwing off the thermal imagery, and the IR was unpredictable around the radiation of the ruined plant.  They couldn't get near the plant itself because of the still-burning fires, which were now being handled by several companies of firefighters.  Oliver's phone was ringing every five seconds with calls from reporters, police, fire officials, and his partner, Tess Mercer.  
  
When the sun finally crested the horizon, Oliver called an end to their search efforts.  "The Fire Chief says they have the fire under control and will have the building secure in a few hours.  Tess is insisting on running one of her own Luthorcorp teams through the site as soon as that happens."  
  
"Won't that be a problem when the Lady of Luthor finds the explosive and triggers we set up to take out the plant?" Chloe asked with concern.  
  
Oliver quirked a small smile.  It was the first non-grim expression any of they had shown in hours.  "Of course they'll find the explosives.  All of which are used by a known terrorist group which has been threatening the Luthorcorp Geothermal Plant for some time.  Tess and I have hundreds of threats stored from the group.  This wasn't the first time they came after this property."  He nodded at Dinah.  "We were just lucky that our bird sang out in time for us to stop them before and secure the explosives."  
  
"So...you re-purposed the explosives from a previous attempt on the plant to take it down this time?" Chloe said.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Smart."  
  
"Thanks."  Another quick smile, as Oliver pulled out his phone.  "In fact, I should probably call the red dragon now."  His smile turned to chagrin.  "I'm afraid that she will probably insist on being the one to investigate what happened here.  She won't trust that I properly disabled the threat from last time, given the circumstances."  He gestured at the wreckage of the facility.  
  
A frisson of panic ran down Chloe's spine.  "How do we keep her from uncovering Doomsday?"  
  
Oliver shrugged.  "We tell her the truth.  At least insofar as that the Metropolis Monster is buried there.  Luthors are very skilled at spin.  She'll make sure the monster stays buried, and no one looks any further than our terrorists about what happened."  
  
"But what if she finds..."  Chloe swallowed, then forced the words out.  "Clark."  
  
Oliver smiled ruefully.  "Then we just thank God he is alive."  Then Oliver turned toward one of the cars and got in.  Sighing, Chloe followed him back to the vehicles.  Jimmy was leaning against his car, and upon seeing her, he smiled and opened the passenger side door.   Chloe peeked in the back and saw Davis was stretched out across the rear seat.  She suppressed a sigh of disappointment.  He was still out, although Dinah had assured her that he was breathing normally and his heartbeat was regular.  She guessed that it was just traumatic for him to be separated from Doomsday and his body was recovering.  
  
She really wished he would wake up.  She needed his comfort.  She needed his solid presence.  She needed him to tell her not to worry.  She needed to know he would be OK.  
  
She just needed Davis.  
  
But looking away from Davis' still-sleeping form, it was Jimmy that smiled at her.  She made herself smile back, even if she was still unclear how she felt about him being involved in all this.  Though she admitted to herself she was happy to have at least one familiar face staying with her in her hour of need.  She got into the car.

* * *

  
  
In the early morning, the fires that had consumed the Geothermal Plant were finally put out and the activity died away.   Then, like some earthborn figure of old, a dark-haired form climbed out of the wreckage.  Pulling himself upright, he turned to face the brightness of the sun, standing tall and upright for a moment.  Then as the light played across his strong features, his shoulders slumped in defeat and he bolted off into the new Kansas day.  
  
A few moments later, Tess Mercer and her team of Luthorcorp investigators descended upon the site of what had once been a brand-new Luthorcorp Geothermal Plant.  
  



	135. Chapter 135

Chloe allowed Jimmy to set their destination.  Heartsore and exhausted, she didn't care much where they went.  Even though he hadn't awoken yet, they couldn't take Davis to a hospital, because he was still a wanted felon.  So she figured Jimmy would take them back to her small apartment over The Talon in Smallville.  
  
A flicker of warmth lit her heart for the first time since the plant had blown up.  She found herself looking forward to seeing the small apartment with its eclectic furniture and colorful walls.  
  
Feeling safe in their destination, she let the motion of Jimmy's familiar old car lull her into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

  
  
Jimmy was shaking her awake gently.  "Chloe, wake up.  We're here."  
  
Blinking sleep from her eyes, Chloe looked past Jimmy's smiling face to her surroundings.  They were in a parking garage.  
  
Why were they in a parking garage?  There weren't any garages in Smallville!  
  
Still smiling, Jimmy moved around the car, and opened the rear door.  "Come on.  I need your help carrying him.  I have someplace to show you."  
  


* * *

  
  
The place Jimmy took her to in the top of the building above the garage was dark with low lights and covered furniture.  She left Jimmy struggling to hold Davis upright while she quickly collected tarps from around the room and folded them into a make-shift bed for Davis.  Moving back to the men, she and Jimmy maneuvered Davis, so he rested comfortably on the piled fabric.  Kneeling down again, she bundled up another small tarp to cushion Davis' head.  Stroking his soft, short hair, she whispered to him quietly, so Jimmy couldn't overhear her, "Please wake up.  Please.  I love you.  Come back to me."  
  
Davis didn't respond.  He didn't even twitch.

* * *

  
  
The Darkness didn't move.  Didn't allow himself.  Chloe had just told him she loved him.  She may not really know who he was yet, but she would.  
  
And by then it would be too late.  
  
Because she already loved him.  She had just said so.  
  


* * *

  
  
Secure that he was as comfortable as possible, Chloe stood and looked around the room more thoroughly.  
  
The place was beautiful.  Old and in need of repair, but beautiful.  
  
As she took in the stained glass windows and wrought iron, Jimmy checked Davis over again.  To her surprise, Jimmy had barely left the other man's side after explaining that Clark had told him to keep both her and Davis safe.  It appeared her ex was taking his duty seriously.  The unexpected care Jimmy was showing to the man she loved, caused something hard and tight and frozen in her to thaw.  Jimmy had once been her closest friend -- even more than Clark -- but his anger and suspicion had poisoned him.  Then he had hurt her so badly, abandoning her the way he did, even if she now knew it was for the best.  But watching him now, taking such tender care of Davis, she once more saw the warm and thoughtful Jimmy she had loved.  Not the angry, twisted stranger he had become during their marriage.  
  
God!  How she had missed him.  
  
"He's going to be OK, " Jimmy told her softly in reassurance when he caught her looking down at himself and Davis.  
  
"Thank you," she replied, simple and heartfelt.  She had needed to hear that.  Looking around at their strange surroundings she said, "So Clark said to take us someplace safe.  What is this place?"  
  
"It's your wedding present. Well, it was."  He chuckled.  "I was gonna give it to you after the reception, but..."  
  
"My wedding present?"  The words were so startling, she asked them without even intending to do so.  
  
 _How on Earth would Jimmy have been able to afford a place like this?_  
  
"Yeah, well, sort of.  From me and Oliver.  Oliver's gift was enough money for a down payment for a place for us.  He told me to pick one out and he'd put up the money.  So I did."  Jimmy looked sheepish.  "I kept wanting to tell you, but then...."  He shrugged.  "Then when things...Um...fell apart...I couldn't even sell it.  You see, the deed was in both our names.  Well, anyway...it is here for us now."  
  
She found herself smiling sadly.  Despite everything, Jimmy had come through, even when he hadn't wanted to.  He had wanted to sell this beautiful place, but now it was a haven.  A safe place for her and Davis.  "I don't know how you do it. You always seem to come through."  She paused, fighting back tears and unsure what to say now.  What did he know?  What could she say without revealing too much?  "Jimmy, there's so much that I want to tell you -- "  
  
"I know about Clark," he cut her off, smiling.

* * *

  
  
_Clark?_ The name echoed through The Darkness' mind as he kept his body still.  Did Clark still live?  Did that mean Doomsday had also been defeated?  The Darkness hadn't thought of that.  He had only been glad to have sole possession of the body, not thinking about what had become of either Davis or Doomsday.  
  
Doomsday should have easily crushed Kal-El.  After all, the only thing that had ever pushed Doomsday back before had been Davis --  because of Chloe.  
  
Had they found a way to leverage that?  But how?  The crystal Chloe had used?  He didn't know what had happened when Chloe had touched Davis with that shard...  
  
Or could it be something else...something he himself had already thought to claim?  
  
Could Clark love Chloe too?  Had he done what Davis had...but instead used his power to push back both Davis and Doomsday, leaving only The Darkness behind?  
  
He didn't know, but it made sense.  The Darkness was now alone in this human vessel -- so maybe both Doomsday and Davis were dead.  
  
But Clark lived.  And might also love Chloe...which meant the danger was not yet over.  
  
If The Darkness was to secure Chloe, Clark had to die.  
  
Cracking an eye again, The Darkness focused on Chloe standing with the weaselly boy she had married for a short time -- Jimmy.  A wave of tainted jealousy and anger rushed through him at the sight of the boy.  The Darkness had fanned those destructive impulses in Davis himself, but now they washed through _him_.  That boy that had hurt Chloe.  He would have to die.  
  
Then he caught a look at Chloe's face.  Unbidden, the Darkness felt the pull from Davis' untainted memories, and something tightened in his body's chest at seeing her there, looking so lost and unsure.  She looked so lovely and alone, even with the boy standing there.  She needed someone with strength.  Like him.  
  
He would kill the annoying Jimmy and the dangerous Clark, finishing Doomsday's mission and destroying his last rivals.  
  
Then Chloe's love would be all his.  
  


* * *

  
  
Jimmy's smile was bright and wide and filled with warmth and admiration as he spoke.  "I saw him. And I saw what he can do, who he is. And now I see all kinds of things. I see what you have sacrificed for him. For everyone, really."  
  
The light shone in his eyes in a way she hadn't seen in so long.  She had missed him.  Her 'almost husband', the boy she had given her virginity, her friend.  "That's the reason I went with Davis -- to protect Clark."  She wanted him to understand why she could never have put him first, but feared shattering this glass-fragile moment of peace.  Jimmy, the old Jimmy, here with her again was the only solace she had right now.   With Clark missing and possibly dead, while Davis lay so still and quiet in a sleep that felt like death, she felt raw and alone.  
  
So she lied.  
  
"That's the only reason."  
  
She instantly regretted the false words, but Davis would never have to know.

* * *

  
  
_Noooooooooooooo!_  
  
The Darkness wailed inside at her words.  She had lied!  She had tricked Davis into strength with her supposed love!  Her deception had strengthened the mortal shell, and all along her love had been illusory.  
  
She had done it all for Clark!  
  
All the battles between Doomsday and The Darkness had waged against Davis had been pointless.  It had all been for a lie!  
  
And worse...if she hadn't loved Davis, she might not love _him_ either.  
  


* * *

  
  
Holding her gaze Jimmy said, "It all makes sense now. But the way I see it, you're as much of a hero as he's ever been. What you have gone through, what you've risked."  He moved closer to her, and she saw his intention in his eyes.  He thought they could start over.  He thought they could have a future.  
  
"And what I've lost. I've lost so much."   There was no future for her and Jimmy anymore, at least not in that way.  Her heart belonged to another now.  It was tightly held by the pale and valiant man that lay sprawled on tarps at their feet.  
  
Still, it made her sad to see that what had once been between her and Jimmy could have been good.  It could have worked if they had been honest with each other.  So looking into his sincere eyes, she gave him a final truth to make up for her earlier lie.  "The only thing I really miss is you."  
  
"Well, now you found me again."  Then suddenly, he stepped forward and wrapped her in a kiss.  
  
The movement was so unexpected, but familiar, that she kissed him back.  The kiss had little passion, but a great deal of affection.  If felt like that last kiss she shared with Clark years before -- like a goodbye to one connection, before choosing another.  A way of putting all her cards on the table, acknowledging what could have been, while also recognizing it was not to be.  
  
She broke it off first, glad that despite everything, she and Jimmy had found their way back to each other as something that could be better than before.  As friends.  As people that might finally be able to be honest with each other.  "I'm so sorry I left, Jimmy, but I promise -- I never left you."  
  
The copy of Davis' body, inhabited by The Darkness, opened its eyes.

* * *

  
  
That useless **BOY** was kissing Chloe!  **_His_** Chloe!  
  
Rage, born of the pure destructive force of Doomsday, flooded through the thing that wore a twin to Davis' human skin.  
  
First Clark and now this stupid boy-man!  All those sweet, protected memories that had kept Davis so strong and had taunted The Darkness with such promise had been nothing but deception.  Lies.  A trick.  A tease of something that could never be his!  
  
Well, he finally had control, and if he couldn't have Chloe, then he would finish what had started with Doomsday.  He would destroy...and would start with everyone Chloe Sullivan loved.  
  
He would show her what Darkness could do.

* * *

  
  
A sickening squelching sound interrupted the quiet in the watchtower, causing Chloe to draw back.  Jimmy gaped at her, his blue eyes huge as blood ran out of his mouth.  For a moment her mind couldn't understand what was going on, until she saw the jagged end of a pole sticking out of Jimmy's torso, just below his heart.  "Jimmy!", she cried out, a moment before the pole was yanked violently from his body.  Jimmy's body collapsed instantly, leaving her looking at something she couldn't begin to comprehend.  
  
Davis stood holding the bloody pole, tears streaming down his handsome face.  
  
 _This can't be real.  There is no way.  It's all just a terrible nightmare, brought on by worry and stress._  
  
She tried to force herself awake, even digging her nails into her palms, but the scene didn't change.  She stood staring, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to think.  
  
Then Davis broke the silence, the bloody murder weapon jiggling in his grip, "So, um... this whole time that you were with me, it was for Clark?"  His voice was hurt and incredulous, but for the first time Chloe didn't want to comfort him.  
  
For months, she had stood by this man, loved him, defended him.  And in a single moment, he had taken all that away.  He wasn't the man she thought, valiant and warm-hearted, suffering so much to do what was right.  He was as much a monster as Doomsday.  
  
And she was very afraid.  
  
"Davis, just put that down," she begged him, backing away with her hand up.  
  
He stalked after her, his voice choked and painful, something awful and dark and twisted flickered in his eyes, something that she had never before seen in their warm brown depths.  "You've been the anchor, holding the man together, even against Doomsday.   How could you do this? I loved you. You're the only one... who ever loved me. Why?"  Then that awful something flared to full life as he screamed again, "Why?!"  
  
She had once seen a rabid dog and there was the same mad ferocity in Davis' eyes.  
  
Oh God.  Something had gone terribly wrong.  
  
Had it been the Black-K?  Even though the results had been erratic with the strange meteor rock, she had thought she understood what it would do.  It should have torn away the Kryptonian monster -- Doomsday -- and left the human half -- Davis.  
  
But instead of the mortal man she loved, he'd been turned into a psychopath.  
  
Had Davis not been strong enough for the split?  Had that darkness inside corrupted the last of his humanity?  Or had she acted too late with the Black-K and Davis was already gone?  
  
She had only thought to save the man she loved, but instead she had released two monsters.  She had created this... _thing._ She had twisted a good man into this remorseless killer with madness in his eyes.  
  
Madness directed at her.  
  
Holding that deranged gaze that had nothing of the man she had loved in it, she knew she couldn't lie.  She had loved Davis, but this person before her...she could never love this.  And they both knew it.  She tried anyway, appealing to anything that might still be human in him, any flicker of the man she loved that might be inside..."I thought I did. Okay? But really, what I wanted to do was save you."  
  
Her Davis should understand that.  He had devoted his life to saving people.  
  
"Save me?" he responded, eyes softening for just a moment, and she felt a brief flicker of hope.  But it died quickly as his eyes turned black and horrible again and he lifted the bloody pole up in a two-handed grip like a baseball bat.  "There is nothing left... to save!"  The last words came out flecked with spittle.  As he moved on her, Chloe's heart seized.  She was going to die.  She was going to die by the hand of the man she had loved.  
  
Then Jimmy rushed Davis, breaking her catatonia.  Taking the distraction offered, she darted away.  When she turned back, Jimmy had Davis pinned to a small table that had a decorative ironwork element displayed.  Davis had been impaled by the wrought-iron arrow through the chest.  He blinked in surprise and confusion as Jimmy tumbled away from his rival's pinned body.

* * *

  
  
_So this was what pain really felt like,_ the Darkness thought.  He had played with it, triggering it and planting it into Davis' subconscious, but had never felt it himself.  
  
It was... _wonderful._  
  
Blood pooling in his mouth had a metallic taste that filled his senses with delicious explosions.  He looked over at Chloe to see if she was experiencing the intimacy of the pain with him, but instead she had gone to Jimmy.  Jimmy was clearly in pain.  
  
He wondered if Jimmy found it all as wonderful as he did.  
  
His body felt afire, and a moment later the exquisite pain overwhelmed him, and he sank into blackness...happy all the way.

* * *

  
  
She cradled Jimmy in her arms as he died, telling him it would be alright, telling him she loved him.  
  
Lies, each word, but they were all she had left to offer.  
  
Jimmy, who had finally returned to himself, to her life, died moments later.  
  
Holding Jimmy's blank-eyed body, she cried.  She couldn't look away from his slackening face.  She couldn't bear to look around at the place he had found for them.  She couldn't bear to look at his blood on the floor.  
  
But most of all, she couldn't bear to look over at Davis impaled on that ironwork across the table.  He too was still and bloody, but as far as she was concerned, the man she had loved had died with the Black Kryptonite.  The thing left behind had been a Beast as awful as Doomsday.  
  
She had only loved three men in her life.  Now two were dead and one still missing.  
  
And it was all because of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a really rough chapter. All along my goal has been to make some sense out of S8 canon, but when you have scenes like this, it can be a real challenge. I didn't want to break canon, though I certainly bent it. I glossed over some of the most offensive/nonsensical parts of this scene. (Though you could say the entire scene was nonsensical, and I wouldn't argue with you.) However, I didn't want to do a full rewrite. There are plenty of full rewrites out there that are wonderfully done, but I've never really found any that actually tried to correct what we actually got in this way. So given canon constraints (even after 6 re-writes) this still wasn't the best chapter, but I do hope it helped with what did happen onscreen. I also crammed it all in one chapter to get the pain over as quickly as possible.
> 
> That all being said, this is NOT the end. Keep trusting me, I do have a plan.


	136. Chapter 136

Oliver found her hours later, nearly catatonic with grief.  Showing a surprising sensitivity, he carefully worked the story of what happened in the tower from her.  Then he began making phone calls.  
  


* * *

  
  
One of the first calls Oliver made was to his lawyers, followed by the police and 911.  Together, Chloe and he had formulated a plausible story that she would give to all three groups:  
  
 _She and Davis had dated briefly during her separation and divorce.  Still unaware of his violent side, she had broken it off after a short time.  Unfortunately, Davis had become obsessed and possessive.  When he had finally shown his true colors, she'd been terrified for her safety and the safety of her loved ones.  Then when the FBI started closing in, Davis had kidnapped her, threatening violence against those she loved if she didn't follow him.  Eventually she had escaped and returned to Jimmy at the tower. Davis had followed, and true to his word, had killed Jimmy.  But Jimmy had gotten one final blow in, killing Davis in turn._  
  
The story was simple and plausible and without any supernatural elements.  Given that both the police and the FBI could now easily close the case of the Metropolis Cornfield Killer, they didn't look any farther than that.  
  
After all, a monster has just torn apart half the city before disappearing into the sky.  
  


* * *

  
  
Two funerals followed.  Both small, but that was the only thing they had in common.  
  
Jimmy's funeral was held in the open sunlight with a glossy casket and flowers and openly shed tears.  The members of the hero team and even Jimmy's estranged family were there.  She even thought for a moment she glimpsed Clark.  
  
Davis was buried under cover of dark in a hidden corner of a property owned by Oliver.  The billionaire had requested from the police the right to bury Davis.  He had explained it would help bring his friend Chloe closure.  When no one else stepped forward to claim Davis' body, the morgue released it to Oliver.  
  
The truth was the archer just wanted to make sure Davis stayed dead this time.  
  
She appeared at Davis' grave just as Oliver finished throwing on with the last shovelful of dirt.  She had waited so long to come because she didn't want to know what sort of measures Oliver took with the body.  No one was there but her and the archer.  Tamping down the earth one more time with the shovel, Oliver spat on the raw grave and darkly muttered, "Should have taken you out sooner.  Should have done it myself..." before turning away in disgust.  
  
Chloe didn't have any words.  Normally she was so good with words, but now her throat couldn't form a single one.  They couldn't choke past the lump that was her broken heart.  As soon as Oliver was out of earshot she collapsed on the churned earth and clawed at it, screaming and crying out her pain and loss to the heedless, empty night.  
  
Davis was dead and worse than dead.  He had been poisoned into something evil and destructive, undoing everything he had been fighting so hard against.  Once, with pain in his voice, he had told her how he killed before as a means to control Doomsday.  But when he had killed Jimmy in the tower, Doomsday had been gone.  It was Davis that had turned maddened eyes on her.  Eyes that could never belong to a man she loved.  Or thought she had loved.  She had seen only a _murderer._  
  
Had the man she loved ever really existed at all?  Or had he just been the camouflage for Doomsday?  Without his master, had the part that played Davis ceased to be?  
  
Or was it her fault?  Had he been poisoned by the Black Kryptonite?  Had it driven him mad?  Had the split shredded his humanity?  Had her choice been the reason he had twisted into that monster in the tower?  
  
Or had she just been too late to save him?  
  
She had no answers.  
  
And on top of her guilt and pain, she was angry.  
  
Angry at him for twisting the way he had, angry at his death, angry at Jimmy's death, angry at Clark and Lois and the team and Lana and her father and every other person who had left her life.  Left her alone to face an empty future.  
  
After a long time, she finally wore herself out with spirals of guilt and confusion and fury and maddening _what ifs??_  
  
She lay on the grass around the grave for a long time.  Lost and exhausted.  
  
She didn't know what to do now.  Didn't know what to think...and there was no one around to ask.  Jimmy was dead.  Clark was missing or dead.  Lois was missing.  Oliver and his team too full of anger to speak about what happened.  She was alone.  
  
She almost laughed through her sobs when she realized the person she most wanted to give her comfort was the man in the grave upon which he cried.  
  


* * *

  
  
She had been right.  Clark had been at at Jimmy's funeral.  The tall man now stood quietly looking at the bloodstains on the porous concrete floor of the tower.  Jimmy's blood.  She had scrubbed at it until her own hands were raw, but the dark stain wouldn't budge.  She couldn't decide now if she wanted to sand down the area, or leave it as a reminder that choices could have consequences too high to pay.  
  
But seeing Clark, alive and seemingly whole, one of the choking lumps she had been carrying for days loosened.  "Clark!  You're alive!"  She rushed down to meet him.  "How did you survive the geothermal explosion?"  
  
There was a hesitation before he answered, as if he were trying to pick his words.  "Just before Dinah pressed the button... I don't know. I got out before the blast, but not fast enough to save anyone else."  
  
 _Anyone else?  Who else would there be? And how could he not know how he escaped?_  
  
But that didn't matter now.  What did matter was his strange behavior.  "You were there today, Clark, weren't you? I really needed you. Why didn't you come to me?"  
  
"I'm the reason Jimmy's dead. Oliver was right. I put humanity on a pedestal.  It wasn't a Kryptonian beast that killed Jimmy. It was a human."  
  
"I was standing right here, Clark. I know full well who killed Jimmy."  _Davis...my living-but-soul-dead Davis..._  
  
But Clark wasn't listening.  He was sure it was his emotions that had caused so much destruction and death, and nothing she could say made any difference to him.  
  
"Clark Kent is dead. Goodbye, Chloe," and with that ominous proclamation, Clark was gone.  
  
And she was alone again with nothing but grief.  Clark had finally come back, only to abandon her again.  After the funeral, everyone from the team had disappeared as well, and try as she might, none of them would respond to her calls, emails, or texts.  
  
She needed comfort and warmth.  She needed to feel safe and loved and familiar, and as much as she loved the tower, it was still mostly a ruin.  
  
This wasn't where she needed to be.  Grabbing up her jacket and purse, she headed for the elevator, unsure exactly where she was headed.  Her feet were carrying her away to her destination well before her mind understood where she intended to go.  She'd had a vague thought of heading home to her apartment over The Talon, but her car was the other way.  There was only one place she could be going towards in this direction.  
  
Davis' old apartment.  
  


* * *

  
  
Subconsciously, she must have recognized that with his death, the FBI would have left the crime scene of his apartment.  And it was unlikely that the good people that had been his landlords would be eager to throw his things to the curb.  To them, he had been a hero.  No doubt they thought everything that had happened must be some sort of mistake.  
  
Sadly, they were the ones mistaken.  
  
But either way, it would work out for her.  
  
She let her feet carry her on.  
  


* * *

  
  
There was still _**Crime Scene**_ printed yellow tape on his door, but it was clear no one was there.  Using her well-honed break-in skills, Chloe quickly popped the lock and let herself inside.  
  
Closing the door quietly behind her, tears sprang to her eyes at the sight before her.  Davis' always immaculate and orderly apartment was in shambles.  Clearly any number of careless agencies had torn through the place searching for clues.  It was also clear by the level of destruction, that they had grown frustrated when they found nothing of use.  
  
Running her fingers over the counter where they had enjoyed such light-hearted banter over Davis' wonderful cooking, the tears started down her cheeks.  
  
It had been a mistake to come back.  There would be no warmth found here.  Not anymore.  
  
Still she found herself wandering back to the bedroom where they had first made love.  
  
The destruction continued throughout the once comfortable and sensual space.  His sheets has been stripped from the bed and all the contents of his drawers and closets dumped upon the floor.  Among the scattered elements of Davis' life, Chloe spotted a black tee that could be the twin of the one he wore when he had helped her with the light bulb in her office so long ago.   Moving over to it, she stooped to grab it.  As she brought it up, a slight whiff of scent hit her nostrils from the fabric.  
  
The shirt smelled of Davis.  
  
Holding it close to her face so she could nuzzle the soft cotton, she inhaled deeply of his scent.  
  
They might have tried to despoil this place, but there was still comfort to be found here.  
  


* * *

  
  
She remade the bed with the sheets that had been stripped away, and burrowed into the cocoon with his shirt still held tightly to her.  When she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend it was months ago and she was happy and safe and warm in his bed.  She could even lie to herself that maybe he was still alive.  Alive and himself, not the creature he had become at the end.  She could pretend he was just in the other room, making them breakfast, and soon he would come in with a tray and a warm smile lighting his warm brown eyes.  
  
In this place, she could once more remember the man that risked so much, given up so much to hold on to his humanity.  The warm and loving man that she has known.  The humor and the passion of him.  
  
She missed Jimmy too, but she had said her goodbyes in her heart to him months ago and his return to her life had been too short for it to seem more than a passing moment.  She knew she would always miss his friendship, but it wasn't raw like her loss of Davis.  
  
And the hardest part about losing Davis was no one else could or would understand.  They only saw him losing the fight against Doomsday.  They only saw the threat of him... and they could only see the horrific bloody consequences of his shattered self in the tower.  
  
But she had known the real him.  
  
Memories of their time together flooded into her, and she let herself fall into them, spinning the web of love and comfort.  The fantasy she created for herself was so delightful and so real that she found herself smiling again for the first time in days as she drifted to sleep.  
  


* * *

  
  
The next day, she carefully slipped out of Davis' apartment.  She realized now it had an incredibly stupid move to return here.  If anyone had seen her, it would open a line of very dangerous questioning about her "kidnapping" by Davis.  
  
So she was very careful not to be seen as she left.  Even though it had hurt her, she had returned his bedroom to its destroyed state.  The only relief she had allowed herself was the soft black tee that was tucked inside her large purse.  
  
She would not be returning here again, but maybe it was time to return to his grave with something besides pain and anger in her heart.  
  


* * *

  
  
Standing before the still-raw earth of his grave, Chloe resolved to remember both sides of Davis.  The man she had loved, and the monster he had become.  
  
She had made choices that had ended in a terrible outcome.  She had told herself those choices could only be made by her -- and she still believed that.  Clark could still be the hero she had seen from the day she had learned his secret, and if the sacrifice of Davis' soul had proven anything, it was that the world needed that hero.  
  
Looking at the sad, bare place where the shattered shell of the man she loved lay buried, she resolved to plant a tree or something to mark the spot.  Nothing conspicuous.  Nothing that could raise suspicions, but something.  Life over death.  She thought Davis would approve.  
  
The man he had once been deserved that much, even if that wasn't who he had been when he died.  
  
Resolved, she got up, dusting off her hands and left the lonely spot.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Miss Mercer!  Over here!"  the Luthorcorp cleanup crew worker called.  The teams had been hard at work for over a week sorting through the wreckage of the Geothermal Plant.  It was a dangerous and tedious process as the crews carefully combed the wreckage, stabilized collapsing structures, and searched for anything worth salvaging as they slowly made their way from the fringes of the plant toward the worst of the destruction -- the areas around the Core chamber.  
  
But not once had any of the workers called for her by name.  
  
Hearing the shout, Tess carefully picked her way through the wreckage.  It wasn't easy in 5-inch heels, but she wouldn't consider wearing anything else.  Even here, she had an image to maintain.  Reaching the worker, she asked, "What is it?  What have you found?"  
  
The worker swallowed, looking pale even under the dirt and sweat coating his skin.  "A body."  
  
"Show me," she responded, her voice like iron.  
  
The cleanup worker shifted a piece of scrap metal aside so she could see.  
  
She narrowed her eyes at the blood-covered body for long moments, before saying in a low voice to no one in particular, "Well, this is an interesting development."


	137. Chapter 137

Warm power bathed him.  Deep and strong and inviting, Davis sank into the energy, pulling it through him.  
  
He went under the bright waves and let himself drift.

* * *

  
  
For the second time in his life, Davis awoke in an unfamiliar bed, swathed in bandages.  
  
And just like before, he was surprised to be awakening at all.  
  
When the explosion had gone off in the plant, he had been sure he would die.  He had thought he had.  
  
Then he remembered the power rushing into him, bathing him, filling him.  
  
Healing him.  
  
Slowly, expecting pain, he sat up in the bed.  
  
There was no pain.  
  
Tentatively, he pulled back a piece of the bandaging on his hand, revealing perfect, unblemished skin.  He remembered the warm power and concentrated, reaching inside himself to see if the dream had been real.  Once more, he sensed it.  The bright power still flowing through him in a steady trickle.  He also felt something else pulling on that power, though it was separate from him.  
  
He thought he might know what that other drain was.  
  
Looking around, he re-wrapped the bandage, unsure what to think of his current circumstance.  It might be to his advantage to pretend he was still injured until he could determine where he was and with whom.  The room he was in looked like a hospital or lab.  He was not restrained in any way, and while he was connected to a number of monitors, no needles or other medical devices intruded into his body.  A large one-way observation glass took up one entire wall.  A door with a small window and no handle was on another wall.  The other two walls were bare.  
  
Just as he finished looking over the utilitarian room, the door opened to reveal a woman he had never expected to see again.  
  
Tess Mercer strolled into the room, her heels clicking on the tile floor.  "Good.  They told me you were awake."  
  
Davis chose not to reply.  If he had learned one thing from her previous "care" of him, it was that the redhead would reveal her hand willingly.  Pausing, she looked him over with a critical eye.  Then she sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.  "You don't need to play mute and weak, you know.  Your healing has been well marked.  I know you are whole or almost whole under those bandages."  She paused, holding his gaze.  "In fact, even compared to before, your healing is remarkable."  She cocked an unpleasant half-smile at him.  "I wonder if I am to thank for that.  Maybe my explosive test gave you some advanced ability for your recovery this time?"  Something like real humor lit her eyes.  "That would be just my luck.  Every time I think I'm sending you to your death, you come back stronger."  Her smile faded and she looked away from him, her gaze going a thousand miles away.  
  
Davis still didn't reply, watching the dangerous redhead carefully.  "But once again, you present me with a problem," she continued after a moment.  Turning back, her eyes ran over him, carefully, as if she was trying to see him under the bandages.  "You see, you were supposed to be dead.  Clark was supposed to kill you and Doomsday both.  Instead, somehow you still live, despite everything.  That puts a kink in Clark's destiny."  
  
Davis remained silent.  
  
Tess moved across the room to the wall with the large observation mirror.  She held her own reflected gaze for a long moment before turning back to look at him.  "You and I have more in common than I think you know."  
  
Davis continued to look at her, his brow pulling together in confusion at her non-sequitur.  
  
"We were both thrown to the wolves by the families that should have loved us, but still we tried to make this a better world."  She smiled wryly, "Though no one else seems to see that."  Her smile faded and she turned her gaze to her own reflection in the one-way glass.  Looking at herself, she continued, "We are both killers, you know.  But I don't think either of us see ourselves as _murderers._ We kill to protect -- ourselves, and the world."  
  
He waited a long moment, but she didn't say anything more.  Finally he decided to break his silence.  In a voice that sounded almost normal again, he said, "That still doesn't explain why I'm alive.  Or why I'm here."  
  
Tess smiled in victory at her own reflection for finally forcing him to speak, but she replied nonetheless.  "Your purpose may not be fully served."  
  
"My purpose?"  
  
She turned to face him fully again, her bright eyes alight with something almost feverish.  "Yes.  Clark defeated Doomsday...but I do not think the creature was destroyed no matter what they say."  
  
"No, it wasn't."  
  
Surprise broke across Tess' face.  
  
"I can feel it still."  Davis shivered.  While he felt the warmth of the power still flowing in him, there was that other thing there as well -- a pulsing red tether pulling on the bright power.  
  
"I see."  
  
She was obviously waiting for more of an explanation.  
  
Davis took a deep breath and let it out slowly, deciding to offer her a small measure of trust to match hers.  "The monster is buried under the Earth's crust, but it cannot die."  He frowned, thinking.  "You mentioned Clark...I'm assuming he made it out?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
A small smile plucked up one corner of his mouth.  "Good."  Sobering, Davis continued, "I tried to get the monster into the shaft, but failed.  Clark succeeded, but..."  Davis paused, wondering how much to tell her, before editing the truth.  "Clark got clear, but I couldn't save myself."  He paused, shaking his head.  "Then...nothing."  He looked over at her again.  "Until I woke up a few minutes ago."  Davis let out another deep breath.  "But I can still feel the monster down there.  It pulses with anger and hate and frustration."  
  
Tess was frowning, tapping a finger against her chin.  "Hmmm, I believe Clark thinks he defeated the monster alone.  Killed it, even."  She glanced at him.  "And he also thinks you are dead."  
  
Davis smiled without humor.  "I'm sorry to disappoint."  Then his brow wrinkled again, "Though guessing by this tender care, you obviously had something to do with my current improved condition.  I don't understand.  You wanted me to betray Clark to the monster."  
  
"And you did."  
  
Davis opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.  "At least, that is how he sees it.  Clark allowed Chloe to risk the world to save the human -- you, Davis.  He nearly died against your unbridled monstrous half.  And how do you repay him?  You murdered Jimmy Olsen."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Jimmy Olsen died by the hands of Davis Bloome."  
  
"That's impossible!  I was in the plant then..."  Davis' voice trailed off as he thought.  
  
He'd blacked out after the explosion.  Was it possible he had done something while he thought he was unconscious?  It had happened before...  
  
Or could it be something else?  He tried to think back to what had happened during the split...  
  
"You don't remember?"  Tess asked with a smile that was slightly cruel.  "Interesting, but irrelevant.  After all, you wouldn't be a good Judas if there was no betrayal."  
  
A shocking thought came to Davis' mind.  
  
"I didn't --"  
  
 _The Darkness that had been invading his mind...what if..._  
  
"You DID!"  She broke in loudly.  
  
He was so startled, he went silent.  
  
"At least, that is how Clark sees it.  How he _needs_ to see it.  He beat the world's destroyer.  He saved the world, but learned that not everyone in that world could _or should_ be saved."  She smiled mockingly.  "Thanks to you, he is on the path that will lead him to become the Earth's champion.  So what does it matter how it came about?  He will be stronger for it now."  
  
 _Just because it was based on a lie, doesn't mean it wasn't real._  
  
He had once said something just like that to Chloe.  
  
He took a deep, steadying breath, deciding to keep the secret of The Darkness to himself for now.  He had to know something else much more important.  He steeled himself before asking the painful question.  "What about Chloe?"  
  
"You attempted to murder her as well...before you yourself were killed in the brave Jimmy Olsen's final act."  
  
Disbelief was followed quickly by horror, only to be replaced by a terrible, sickening fear.  He closed his eyes on the painful clenching in his guts.  He would have to find, her, explain to her...  
  
"They need to keep thinking that."  
  
His eyes snapped open and words poured out without his mind's consent at her damning words, "No!  It didn't happen that way!  It wasn't me!  I can explain --"  
  
"No.  I didn't do all this so you could go play house with Sullivan."  
  
That made him stop in his tracks again.  Looking into her fanatical eyes, he asked, "Then why?  What purpose do you think I still need to serve?"  
  
"Doomsday was kept in check by you.  You managed to control him over your entire lifetime with a surprising level of success."  
  
"Success?" he scoffed.  "You call the bodies in that cornfield 'success?' "  
  
She looked at him hard.  "Yes.  Clark needed time to grow, to accept his destiny.  You gave him that time, even through...distasteful means.  You did what needed to be done.  Clark was not ready to face Doomsday until now, and it appears --"  Her eyes narrowed slightly.  "He still isn't."  She smiled with the first sign of something real.  "It turns out I did better than I imagined in having you brought here."  She quirked another smile.  "Though I am guessing you would have eventually recovered on your own as your body adapted."  
  
Worried by her unknown plans, Davis decided on another attempt at concealment.  "No, my powers came from the monster.  Whatever brought me back came from you."  
  
Her smile disappeared and her voice turned icy.  "Don't lie to me.  I get more than enough of that from Clark."  Some of the ice left her tone.  "I know what you are.  Doomsday may be trapped now, but one day he may break free.  And it appears that even though you were split, you still have power over it.  Power _from_ it.  You can still fight the monster to a standstill.  You are Paris to Doomsday's Achilles."  
  
Davis looked at her for a long time, then shook his head.  "No.  I only sense the monster.  I don't have power over it.  It could destroy me as easily as anyone else.  I got lucky is all.  Clark was the one that got it into the pit, not me."  
  
"You underestimate yourself."  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Oh?  Than explain this -- !"  
  
She moved so fast Davis was blinking away metal shards from before his eyes before he knew what happened.  
  
He hadn't even noticed her wearing a weapon until she held up the broken hilt of the blade before his face.   
  
_She had stabbed him!_  
  
Looking down he ran his hands over his perfectly untouched chest before looking up at her angrily.  "You stabbed me!"  
  
"Yes, and, alas you are fine."  She quirked a twisted smile.  "So obviously there is more to you than just human, even with the split.  You should have been _vaporized_ by the explosions, but you weren't.  You shouldn't have been able to survive for even a moment against Doomsday, and you did."  She looked at him hard.  "When we found you, a week had passed since the accident.  You were pierced through with debris, but you were still _ALIVE._ "  
  
"A week?  But -- but--  how??"  
  
"I think you know the answer to that, but my theory is you were split, but not _severed_.  You are separate, but connected."  She gave that twisted smile again.  "Kind of like twins."  
  
Davis grimaced.  "Great..."  He looked at her again.  "So now what?"  His eyes turned dangerous.  "I hope you don't plan to keep me locked up."  
  
"Oh, no.  We've had this conversation before.  I don't think there is any way to lock you up unless you agreed to it.  So I'll offer you something else instead."  
  
"Oh?  So what is that?"  
  
"Davis Bloome must stay dead."  
  
Davis growled.  "Really?  So why bring me back at all?"  
  
"You misunderstand.  Davis Bloome must die...but you don't have to be Davis Bloome."  
  
His brow knit in confusion.  "What?"  
  
"It is necessary for Clark to believe in Davis Bloome's death.  But you are also necessary as a linchpin against Doomsday.  So you must live."  
  
"Still not following."  
  
"I believe we published it something like this..."  She raised her hands like she was writing a headline on a billboard.  "Davis Bloome, suspected Cornfield Killer, dies at hands of last victim."  She quirked a humorless smile at him.  "Bit wordy I thought, but it got the point across."  
  
"Ok, so if I'm assumed dead but you aren't locking me up...what do you intend for me?"  
  
She walked away from the mirror and knocked on the room's door.  The door opened immediately, and someone handed her a large manilla envelope.  Moving back to him, she presented the envelope to Davis.  With a smile at him as he tentatively accepted the packet, she said, "Why I only expect you to do what you do best.  Be reborn."  
  
He pulled out the papers from the envelope.  It contained a birth certificate, social security card, passport, and even college diplomas.  His image, slightly altered was on all the paperwork.  He read the name.  "Aiden Kell?"  
  
Her eyes sparkled a bit.  "Just be glad I didn't choose Iscariot."  
  
"Ah, I see.  Davis Bloome would be dead on paper."  He looked at the paperwork.  "But you expect no one will notice that Aiden Kell looks a whole lot like him?"  
  
"Where you are going, no one will know Davis Bloome or The Cornfield Killer."  
  
Davis looked at her warningly.  "And where do you think I'm going?"  
  
She shrugged.  "Honestly, I don't care.  Just so long as you are unknown."  She cut her eyes to him.  "I suggest someplace remote.  Maybe Africa or South America."  For the first time, her eyes actually softened a bit.  "They could use all the trained medical help they could get there."  
  
Hid long held dreams of joining Emergency International played in his head for a moment, but then he shook his head.  
  
"What if I don't agree to your...generous offer?"  
  
She walked a few steps away from him, back towards the reflective glass.  She held her own gaze once more, speaking clearly, but with a casual inflection.  "Chloe lives on such a dangerous edge.  Working with the meteor infected, chasing heroes.  Heck, even living in the big, bad city.  Anything could happen."  
  
Davis was out of the bed and on her in a flash.  In a shocking replay of their interaction from before, he gripped her throat and squeezed tightly enough to cause her pain, but not so tight as to do damage.  "If you do anything to Chloe--"  
  
Without a trace of fear in her eyes, she choked out, "If you do it, Davis, you'll be just what they say.  You would have killed for nothing more than expediency.  You'll be a _murderer._ "  
  
He dropped her throat.  She coughed and wheezed, holding her neck.  "I thought so.  You've had to make horrible choices, but your moral compass is nearly as unforgiving as Clark's."  She paused, rubbing her neck, before continuing, "For the record, I have no interest in your little girlfriend.  I certainly intend her no harm, but I will not hesitate to use her to gain your cooperation in this matter.  You must follow your path so Clark can follow his."  She looked at him, and even though she was still in some pain, her eyes flared with intensity.  "I will do _anything_ to make that happen.  _Anything._ "  
  
He turned away from her, in disgust at her...and himself.  He hadn't meant to hurt her, but a threat to Chloe...  
  
He was still facing away when he said quietly, "Chloe comes with me."  
  
"No."  
  
He spun to face her.  "What do you mean 'No'?"  
  
She straightened, though her neck was still marked with his handprint.  "Chloe is Clark's best friend and sidekick.  You can not take her away again.  We already know if she disappeared, he would search for her."  She grimaced.  "And for some reason, he seems to need her."  
  
Davis' heart sank.  _Leave Chloe?  No!  Not after everything they had been through!  They deserved a happy ending after all the horror.  They deserved a lifetime of lazy mornings with breakfast in bed, nights in each other's arms, taking the kids to school, sitting on rocking chairs holding hands..._  
  
Tess must have seen his face break because her next words pierced into him.  "Jimmy's funeral is today."  
  
Davis closed his eyes against the pain.  
  
 _Oh, God._ He had forgotten Tess had said Jimmy was dead.  The Darkness had killed the boy.  
  
No, not boy.  Man.  Anyone that died protecting another like Jimmy had protected Chloe against his evil half deserved to be called a man.  
  
And Chloe thought _Davis_ had killed Jimmy.  
  
Chloe must hate him now, blame him.  She'd never believe it wasn't him after seeing it with her own eyes.  She hadn't really understood the Darkness, or that The Darkness had been born from him -- born of his jealousy and anger, inflamed by Doomsday, yes, but it had started in his own mind.   
  
The guilt pressed down upon him.  He hadn't been able to save Jimmy, but maybe he could protect Chloe.  
  
He opened his eyes and met Tess' hard ones.  "Can you get me into Emergency International?"  
  
Tess smiled with triumph.  
  


* * *

  
  
Tess was as good as her word.  The new identity fit him like a glove.  Davis Bloome was dead, but Aidan Kell lived.  No one looked at him twice when he worked his way through the crowds in the terminals.   
  
But he froze mid-stride outside a small newspaper stand, startled by the headline he saw on the Daily Planet.  
  
DAVIS BLOOME INNOCENT OF CORNFIELD MURDERS  
  
Quickly buying a copy, Davis tore through the story.  
  
Upon further investigation, the bodies in the corn field were found to have been killed through extraordinary means --  many of them torn into pieces or necks snapped completely around.  The coroner claimed no human would posses that kind of strength.  It took longer for the DNA evidence to come through, but finally it was determined to belong to the monster that had wrecked havoc in Metropolis.  They theorized that Davis Bloome had been trying to track the monster.  
  
However, the paper made it clear that Davis was still being help responsible for the murder of Jimmy Olsen.  
  
Davis guessed the story was Tess' way of covering up the existence of another alien with powers running around, while still making it impossible for him to return to a normal life in Metropolis.  
  
Davis had to admit it was a masterful stroke.  It also had a certain fairness to it.  
  
Even if he was technically innocent of Jimmy's murder, he had great evils for which he had to atone.  He had killed the people in that cornfield. The guilt of those slayings was firmly on his conscience.  True, he'd had no other choice, but he'd still made the decision to kill them.  And on top of that, it was his pain and jealousy that had been used to create The Darkness that had killed Jimmy and tried to kill Chloe.  It would be wrong for him to get off scot-free.  
  
 _But you haven't..._ his mind whispered.  
  
And it was true.  No, he hadn't gotten off without paying a price.  He'd lost Chloe.  Each second put more and more space between them.   Nothing could hurt him more than that.  There was no greater...penance than that.  
  
He would leave Chloe to live safe and happy away from him, even allowing her to think him twisted and dead.  Without him to complicate her life, she would help Clark to be the hero they both knew he could become.  And for himself, Davis would find a way to balance the scales for the terrible deeds he and his doppleganger had done.  Someday he would be worthy of her again and find his way back to Chloe...no matter what Tess said.  
  
This was not their end.  
  
He finished the last sip of his beer as he looked out the airplane's window from his well-cushioned chair.  Tess had sprung for first class to get him out of town.  
  
"Can I get you another, Mr Kell?"  
  
Davis turned to look into the eyes of the pretty stewardess.  She was tall, slim, with dark wavy hair and her eyes ran over him in a way that was more than professional.  
  
But she wasn't Chloe, and he wasn't ready for a substitute, so he replied politely, "No, thank you."  
  
He turned away before even seeing disappointment in her eyes.  
  
The rainforest of Brazil stretched before him, lush and green and seemingly impenetrable.  He wondered how deep into this jungle his Emergency International post would be.  
  
Here, for the first time in his life, he would be free just to be Davis -- or rather Aidan -- but he would no longer be driven by a monster inside.  He could finally grow into himself.  He could make his own choices without a dark alien influence working behind his mind.  
  
He would do _good_ here.  He would do it for Chloe.  
  
And he would do it for himself.  
  
Even through his pain, Davis found himself smiling.


	138. Epilogue

_Two and a half years later..._  
  
"Aidan!  Aidan!"  Marta yelled, running through the latest Emergency International camp with a paper-wrapped parcel under one arm.  
  
Davis/Aidan looked up from the arm of the little boy that he was bandaging.  The boy, Paulo, had cut it badly while trying to clear debris from the flooded watering hole his family used.  He waved a hand briefly so Marta could find him, before returning to his work.  Paulo was a surprisingly good patient for his age, and allowed Davis to tend his arm without complaint.  Marta, on the other hand, bobbed around them impatiently.  A moment later, Davis was done and gave the boy a cup of fruit juice to sip on as a reward, before turning to Marta.  
  
"Alright, Marta.  What is it that has you so excited?" he asked with a bit of humor in his voice over his friend's enthusiasm.  
  
"It's this!," she exclaimed pushing the package at him.  
  
Davis took the package carefully, unsure.  "What is it?  Are you sure it's for me?  You know I never get..."  his voice trailed off as he read his alias' name on the shipping label.  His breath caught in his throat when he saw whose name was on the return address.  
  
Marta didn't notice his freezing, and rambled on excitedly, "You got a package!  A real one, not just supplies and medicines, but something actually for you!  In the whole time we've worked together, not once, but now --"  Finally she noticed the color had drained from Davis face and her words stopped.  "What is it?  What's wrong?" she asked gently.  
  
Anxious brown eyes lifted to meet hers.  "I don't know, but I doubt it is good news," Davis replied softly.  Then, putting the package down he turned back to Paulo and took the empty drink cup from the boy.  Davis forced himself to smile at the obviously curious boy, then helped the youngster to his feet.  Switching to Portuguese, Davis said, "Alright, buddy, you are all set.  Remember what I said about keeping that clean and dry.  Come back in a few days so I can check up on it.  Got it?"  
  
The boy nodded, smiling.  Then he ran off, presumably to meet up with his family.  
  
Davis' own smile faded as soon as the boy was out of sight.  Turning, he picked up the package and meeting Marta's eyes, gestured for her to follow him to his tent.

* * *

  
  
It only took a moment to cross the camp to Davis' tent.  They ignored the curious or knowing looks the other camp members and villagers shot their way.  Davis was thankful that, for once, no one stopped them to ask for assistance.  
  
Once inside, he pulled the flap closed, giving him and Marta some privacy.  He knew how it would look to the others, but he was too anxious to care.  
  
Careful to keep all the mailing labels intact, Davis tore into the paper wrapping on the shoe-box sized package until he reached the prize inside.  
  
It was a beautiful wood inlay jewelry-style box.  Davis looked up at Marta anxiously, unsure what would be inside, given who it was that had sent it to him.  Reading his tension, Marta placed a gently hand on his arm.  "You don't have to open it, Aidan.  You can just send it back," she offered sympathetically.  
  
Davis shook his head in reply.  Then, steeling himself, lifted the elegant wooden lid of the box.  
  
Inside, well-cushioned on a bed of deep blue velvet lay a dark purple-black crystal.  
  
Davis recognized it instantly, even though he had only seen it once before.  
  
It was the crystal that would open a portal to The Phantom Zone.  
  
Tucked into the box liner, a piece of creamy stationary embossed with an unmistakable logo rested.  There was no name on the note, but Davis knew it was intended for him.  Lifting the paper, Davis read the few lines written within.  
  
_It seemed to me that you would be the caretaker I could most trust to keep this._  
You know what it could mean for us all.  
\-- TM  
  
The note fluttered from between Davis' fingers to the cot.  Picking it up, Marta read the brief note.  Then looking over his shoulder at the crystal, she asked, "What does it mean?  What is it?"  
  
"Trouble," Davis replied.  
  
  
  
...The End of **Something Between Us** : Part One of Davis and Chloe's story.  
  
Their story concludes in the forthcoming adventure: **Phoenix and Ashes**.


	139. Author's Notes

First,  I'd like to thank you for reading my story.  I know how I ended this story could anger some fans, but it had to be done this way.  That being said, THIS IS NOT THE END.  
  
For me, this story was a true labor of love.  After watching S8, and seeing the direction the series went in S9, I was struck with a need to MAKE IT RIGHT.  Having discovered and read the amazing "canon-fix" works of [](http://apeygirl.livejournal.com/profile)**apeygirl** , I knew it could be done, and resolved to do so.  
  
In November of 2013, I wrote the first chapters of this story -- the first fanfic I have ever written.  I started this fic with a few goals in mind:

 

    * Make sense of all the strange gaps and plotholes in S8



 

    * Enlarge and enrich the fascinating relationship between Chloe and Davis



 

    * Give Chloe and Davis some NC-17 time that fit in with their story and relationship



 

    * Explain how the heroic and warm Davis Bloome we met in 'Plastique' could turn into the psychotic killer in the Watchtower scene in 'Doomsday'



 

    * Fix a number of scenes that just made no sense such as the Watchtower scene, truth scene in 'Committed', how Chloe's memory loss and subsequent mind-rape in 'Abyss' and 'Legion' were never noticed/everyone seemed ok with it, etc...



 

    * Explain how the final action scenes in 'Doomsday' came to be (the geothermal plant, Clark living and not sure why, and Doomsday being defeated)



 

    * Explain the S8 relationship between Chloe and Jimmy in a way that made some sort of sense



 

    * Lay the foundation for the break down of so many character relationships going into S9



 

    * Do all this WITHOUT BREAKING CANON



 

That last criteria was certainly the hardest and is largely responsible for many of the directions this story took, including the ending.  I went back and forth a number of times as to how I would handle the Doomsday fight and Watchtower scenes in particular, but it was obvious for many months before I wrote them that I couldn't bring Davis and Chloe to a happy ending in S8.  At least, not without breaking the canon I had followed so closely for this entire story -- something I was not willing to do after working so hard to keep with it.  
  
**So what now???**  
  
I have been plotting out the continuation/resolution of Chloe and Davis' story for months and laid the bread crumb trail throughout SBU.  Part Two will conclude their narrative in the upcoming story **Phoenix and Ashes** which will take place post-series.  The same as with SBU, all canon will be upheld, BUT NOT THE COMICS.  The comics are NOT canon in my opinion and will be completely disregarded.  
  
That being said, I hope you enjoy the next adventure for our duo which should start coming out in a few weeks.  I expect it to be MUCH shorter than this story, but still full of a lot of the same elements -- adventure, romance, sex, and redemption.  Publishing schedule should also remain weekly.  If you want to make sure you catch **Phoenix and Ashes** as soon as it is up, add me to your author alerts/friends list.  
  
Thank you, and I hope you liked my story.  If you did, please post a review.  It helps keep me motivated.  :)


End file.
